Search warrants returned from the night five Broken Arrow residents were killed inside their own home seem to indicate the two suspects planned a “mass killing,” that was thwarted by one of their victims dialing 911.
One search warrant states one of the two suspects, either 18-year-old Robert Bever, or 16-year-old Michael Bever, “spontaneously uttered that plans of the killing” were on a thumb drive in one of the family bedrooms.
The search warrant states police believed weapons and “electronic devices such as computers, thumb drives … that can store data of information on the planning and execution of a mass homicide” were expected to be found in the house.
Robert Bever.
The Bever brothers have each been charged with five counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill. The brothers pleaded not guilty earlier this week.
Police allege 18-year-old Robert Bever and 16-year-old Michael Bever attacked their family July 22 with knives and hatchets, killing five of their family members — 52-year-old David Bever, 41-year-old April Bever, 12-year-old Daniel Bever, 7-year-old Christopher Bever and 5-year-old Victoria Bever.
Arrest and booking sheet for Robert Bever.
Two girls, a 13-year-old and 2-year-old, survived the attacks, though the 13-year-old was hospitalized with severe wounds. The 2-year-old was unharmed, but police believe she would have been killed had a 911 call placed from the house not interrupted the attacks.
Broken Arrow city officials first promised to release the 911 call on Tuesday, then reneged when attorneys for the Bever filed a motion seeking to seal documents from Broken Arrow. On Wednesday, District Judge William Musseman ordered the documents released, but said the 911 call could be withheld.
Instead, the city released a batch of documents Thursday about 4 p.m. which included notes from a dispatcher who sent police officers to the Bever house that night.
In it the dispatcher states he or she was told that one of the brothers was attacking the family, then spoke with a male who said “Hello,” and hung up.
“I could hear some comotion and multiple ppl,” the dispatcher notes state. “Had an open line with this phone, there were a lot of screaming in the background. & I could hear someone trying to be quiet & crying.”
Notes from a dispatcher to Broken Arrow police.
The dispatcher tried to call the home back but those calls were not answered, the notes show. Eleven minutes after the first call from the home, responding police officers notified dispatch they had stabbing victims inside the home.
The brothers were arrested shortly thereafter, hiding in a wooded area south of the home. The dispatch notes state that one of the brothers was bitten by a police K-9, and “needs to be seen.”
The records released show 10 previous times police had been to the 709 Magnolia Court address where the Bevers lived. Three phone calls were for animals being at large, two were for a suspicious person, one was for public drunkeness, one was for fireworks, one was for the July 22 homicide and two others were followups after the killings.
Michael Bever
The notes on those calls show only times and dates, but do not list information (such as who was publicly drunk, or who was alleged to have been suspicious) for each individual call.
Other documents released give a brief summary of the injuries sustained by the victims, listing them as “Sever Laceration,” and “Other Major Injury.”
What “Other Major Injury” the victims sustained is not listed. Autopsy reports for the victims have not yet been released.
Michael Bever’s Broken Arrow Police Department mugshot was also released for the first time, and shows what appears to be mud on his face. His BAPD mugshot had not previously been released due to his juvenile status.
His Tulsa jail mugshot was released last week.
Search warrants returned Thursday offer even more details about what happened the night of the slayings.
The search warrants state police recovered DNA, blood samples and clothing worn by the suspects, as well as casting and/or moldings of bare footprints of both brothers.
The returns state police found several blood-soaked footprints belonging to both victims and suspects inside the residence the night of the killings.
