Nearly 40 years after Rebecca “Becky” Beard disappeared from Freeport, Texas, her family is still searching for the answer that matters most.
Where is Becky?
Now, her family wants the public to hear information from a woman known as “Rio.” Her account includes disturbing claims about what may have happened to Becky and where someone may have taken her remains.
However, an important warning comes with Rio’s story.
According to Becky’s family, prosecutors recently presented information involving Rio to a Brazoria County grand jury. Family members say the grand jury took no action.
Becky’s family also says the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office told them investigators did not consider Rio a credible witness.
I am not presenting Rio’s statements as established facts.
Still, Becky’s family believes parts of her account could contain accurate information. They hope releasing these details reaches someone who knows what happened or where to find Becky.
Who Was Rebecca “Becky” Beard?
Becky Beard was 22 years old when she disappeared after spending the night at the Excalibur Club in Freeport on March 1, 1986.
She never came home.
Investigators have never recovered her body.
Years later, Paul Taylor Jr. pleaded guilty in connection with Becky’s death. Despite that conviction, her family has spent decades trying to find her remains.
That search continues today.
Who Is the Witness Known as Rio?
During my investigation, I tracked down Cherie “Rio” Starr, a woman who has provided an account of events surrounding Becky’s disappearance.
Rio made several specific and disturbing claims. Some involve what allegedly happened to Becky’s body and where people may have taken her remains.
Investigators have not established those claims as fact.
According to Becky’s family, the district attorney told them authorities did not find Rio credible.
Still, one reason the family has not completely dismissed her story is that some details appear to connect with information they already knew about Becky’s life before she disappeared.
The Galveston Weekend in Becky’s Planner
One detail deserves closer examination.
Becky kept a planner. An entry documents a weekend trip to Galveston from February 14 through February 16, 1986, just weeks before she disappeared.
Becky was dating Beaver Aplin at the time.
Rio described an incident involving Aplin during which she said he got down on his knees with a dozen roses, jewelry and bottles.
That detail caught the family’s attention because Becky’s mother, Linda Barnes, already knew about Becky’s Galveston weekend.
Linda recalled Becky returning from the trip and throwing away roses.
Her mother asked her why she was throwing them away.
According to Linda, Becky did not want to talk about it.
That does not prove Rio’s account.
It does, however, raise a question for the family: How much of Rio’s story, if any, could be independently verified?
Becky’s planner documents the Galveston weekend. Her mother remembers the roses. Rio later provided an account involving roses and the man Becky was dating.
The family believes those details are worth examining rather than ignoring.
Family Says Evidence Was Presented to a Grand Jury
Becky’s family says prosecutors recently presented evidence involving Rio to a Brazoria County grand jury.
According to family members, the grand jury took no action.
They also say the district attorney told them authorities did not consider Rio a credible witness.
Those details matter.
Rio’s claims are not established facts.
I am not presenting them as proof of what happened to Becky.
Instead, the family wants to know whether someone else can independently confirm any part of her account.
Why Release Rio’s Story?
There is a simple reason.
Becky still has not been found.
Almost four decades have passed since she disappeared. People who were young adults in 1986 are now much older. Some witnesses have died. Properties have changed. Memories have faded.
That makes information from people who were there increasingly important.
The family understands authorities have questioned Rio’s credibility. They also understand that a grand jury took no action after hearing information related to her account, according to what family members say they were told.
Still, they cannot get past the possibility that one detail could be true even if other parts of a witness’s story are not.
The Galveston weekend is one reason they continue asking questions.
Someone May Remember Something
Maybe you were at the Excalibur Club.
Maybe you knew Becky, Paul Taylor Jr., Beaver Aplin or Rio.
Maybe you remember the Galveston weekend in February 1986.
Maybe you heard a conversation afterward.
Or perhaps you know something about a location connected to the case.
The family isn’t asking people to speculate. They are looking for firsthand information that can be independently checked.
If you know something, even if it seemed insignificant at the time, consider coming forward.
After nearly 40 years, Becky’s family isn’t looking for rumors.
They are looking for Becky.
This article is part of my continuing independent investigation into the disappearance and death of Rebecca “Becky” Beard. Statements attributed to witnesses represent their accounts unless independently corroborated. The inclusion of any person’s name does not imply criminal conduct or involvement in Becky’s death.
Related Reading
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Becky’s story has deep connections to Galveston and Brazoria counties. If you’re planning a trip to Galveston, you can compare hotels and accommodations Hotels.com