Police Say White Suspect Wore Blackface and Fake Beard to Kill The Mother of His Child, Witnesses Initially Identified As A Black Man
A white man accused of killing the mother of his daughter tried to hide his identity by using blackface while committing the act.
Authorities stated in a probable cause police affidavit that 33-year-old Andrew Charles Beard wore blackface and a fake when he stabbed and shot 24-year-old Alyssa Burkett, the mother of his 1-year-old daughter. The murder took place on Oct. 2 in Carrolton, Texas.
Beard turned himself in last week after police obtained an arrest warrant for him on a murder charge. Burkett was shot and repeatedly stabbed shortly after 9 am Friday in front of the apartment complex where she worked.
Witnesses say Beard shot Burkett after she pulled up to work in her vehicle. Once police arrived on the scene, Burkett’s co-workers were trying to treat her gunshot wound. She was shot in the head and suffered multiple stab wounds to the torso and arms. According to witnesses, her attacker was a Black man. Police discovered dark makeup and a fake bread in vehicles that are believed to belong to Beard.
A few witnesses said the attacker was wearing a face mask, while two other witnesses who saw the side of his face claim the man was Black. According to a police affidavit, Burkett’s mother and a co-worker had previously told them she was afraid of Beard.
Burkett and her current boyfriend discovered tracking devices on their cars. Once police searched Beard’s home they found the same type of tracking device.
“Pretty early on, it was clear to our detectives this was someone who was hunting her. Someone who knew where she was going to be and someone who wanted her dead,” Carrolton Police Spokesperson Jolene DeVito said.
Burkett and Beard were in a heated custody battle over their 1-year-old, and Burkett had just received custody of the child on Sept. 30. Beard is now helping at the Dallas County Jail on murder charges.