Three days after 24-year-old Alyssa Burkett was shot and then stabbed to death outside her office in Carrollton, Texas, Andrew Beard—with whom Burkett shared a 1-year-old daughter—was charged with her murder. But what appeared to be an open-and-shut case would unravel into something far more complex, revealing that Beard was "only half of the story," according to investigators.
Background
Burkett's death on October 2, 2020, shocked the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb. She had been locked in a bitter custody battle with Beard over their daughter Willow, born in July 2019. After Beard filed for primary custody and made more money than Burkett, she feared he wanted to take Willow from her. In spring 2020, tensions appeared to ease after the pair reached an agreement on visitation and child support. Beard had also begun dating Holly Elkins, and Burkett's family said she was relieved Beard had found someone new.
That peace shattered when Beard resumed his demands for primary custody of Willow. Burkett told her family she felt watched—that Beard always seemed to know where she was. "Every day you feel like you're having to watch over your shoulder ... That's how I felt she lived," said Teresa Collard, Burkett's mother.
The Investigation
On the morning of October 2, Burkett parked outside the Greentree Apartments leasing office when a man in a black Ford Expedition pulled beside her. He shot Burkett through the driver's side window, then drove away—assuming she was dead. But Burkett survived. As she fled toward her office, the assailant—a Black man, according to eyewitnesses—abandoned his SUV and chased her with a hunting knife. He stabbed and slashed her 44 times before fleeing for good.
Within hours, police pulled Beard over in his F-150 pickup truck. Inside were Elkins and baby Willow. Officers seized the truck but allowed both adults to leave, instructing them they could not return home. That night, detectives searched Beard's residence and discovered GPS tracker batteries and charging stations matching a device found under Burkett's car earlier that day.
The next day, investigators unearthed two bottles of dark foundation in Beard's truck—makeup authorities believed he used to disguise himself as a Black man on the morning of the murder. Police later located the black Ford SUV used in the attack, abandoned less than a mile from Beard's home.
On October 5, 2020, Beard surrendered and was charged with murder. He spent two weeks in jail before posting bond. Concerned for Willow's safety, Detective Jeremy Chevallier reached out to federal authorities. The discovery of an unregistered silencer during the search prompted the federal government to take the case under firearm laws. Eight days after his release on bond, Beard was rearrested and charged with cyberstalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death.
In June 2022, Beard pleaded guilty. One month later, during an FBI interview as part of his plea deal, he revealed Elkins' role in the murder plot. "It was ... 'this is how you're gonna do this,' it was, '... you're gonna wear this dark makeup …' That was her plan … that's how it's gonna be done," Beard told investigators.
Text messages between Elkins and Beard painted a damning picture. One week before the murder, while traveling in Mexico, Elkins texted Beard: "I hope you handle it I'm not coming home to b***s***." He responded, "That's my goal."
"She hated Alyssa with a burning passion," said Sgt. Michael Harding.
Investigators concluded Elkins was running the show. "She was telling him what he was gonna do ..." Chevallier told CBS News' "48 Hours."
The Sentencing
In May 2023, Beard received 43 years in federal prison. Investigators believed Elkins assumed her involvement was finished. "I think she believed that the further she got away from this, the less involved she was gonna be," Chevallier said.
Two months after Beard's sentencing, Elkins was arrested by federal agents at Miami International Airport upon returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic. She faced charges of conspiracy to stalk and stalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death. Elkins pleaded not guilty.
In April 2024, Elkins stood trial as a co-conspirator. One prosecutor summarized the case: "Andrew Beard was a monster, but he was Holly Elkins' monster." After a one-week trial, jurors deliberated approximately 90 minutes before finding Elkins guilty on all counts. Three months later, she received two consecutive life sentences—significantly longer than Beard's term.
"I 100% believe that if Holly and Andrew had never met that Alyssa Burkett would be alive today," Harding stated.
Key Takeaways
- Alyssa Burkett, 24, was shot and stabbed 44 times outside her Carrollton, Texas office on October 2, 2020
- Her ex-partner Andrew Beard, father of their infant daughter, was initially charged with murder
- Investigators discovered GPS tracking devices placed on Burkett's vehicle prior to the killing
- Dark foundation makeup in Beard's truck suggested he attempted to disguise himself as a Black man during the attack
- Federal authorities took over the case after discovering an unregistered silencer at Beard's home
- Beard pleaded guilty and received 43 years in federal prison in May 2023
- Text messages revealed fiancée Holly Elkins orchestrated the murder plot, telling Beard "that's my goal" to eliminate Burkett
- Elkins was convicted of all charges in April 2024 and sentenced to two consecutive life terms three months later
What's Next
Beard remains incarcerated at a federal prison serving his 43-year sentence. Elkins' conviction stands as one of the more significant co-conspirator sentencing victories in recent Texas murder cases, with prosecutors emphasizing that those who orchestrate violence—even without directly carrying it out—face severe consequences.