By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose
Nearly 40 years after Rebecca Beard’s murder, a four-hour excavation near a Brazoria County cemetery ended without the discovery of her remains.
The search followed a disturbing claim from a witness who says she watched the 22-year-old woman buried alive in 1986.
While I was in Dubai, a nearby property owner contacted me about repeated visits by retired Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office investigator John Blankenship. The owner also claimed he witnessed suspicious activity in the area around the time Beard disappeared.
Shortly after Blankenship spoke with the property owner, a search took place with assistance from Texas EquuSearch.
According to a source familiar with the operation, nothing was found.
Witness claims she watched Rebecca Beard buried alive
In January 2026, a woman came forward with a disturbing account of what she claims happened nearly 40 years earlier.
She alleged that she was present the night Beard was killed in March 1986.
According to the witness, she followed the suspects from the Excalibur Club in Freeport to an area near a cemetery.
There, she claims, she watched them bury Beard alive.
The witness identified a possible burial location near the cemetery.
Her allegations remain unverified. No publicly confirmed physical evidence has established that Beard was buried at that location.
Nevertheless, her account brought renewed attention to an area connected to one of Brazoria County’s longest-running murder mysteries.
District attorney’s investigators questioned witness credibility
Beard’s family later met with representatives of the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office and investigators to discuss the witness’s allegations.
During a recorded meeting, investigators explained why they did not believe the woman’s account.
They said she had changed parts of her story.
According to investigators, those inconsistencies raised concerns about her credibility.
Despite the witness’s claims, investigators did not consider her account reliable.
However, the question of where Beard’s remains are located remains unanswered.
Property owner contacts reporter about activity near cemetery
While I was in Dubai in October 2026, a property owner near the cemetery contacted me about several visits by retired Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office investigator John Blankenship.
The owner said Blankenship had been looking near the area where a witness claimed Rebecca Beard was buried in 1986.
During our conversation, the owner revealed that he had witnessed suspicious activity in the same area around the time Beard disappeared.
However, he said he initially believed the activity might involve satanic rituals or the burial of animals. He had previously noticed activity in the area that led him to that suspicion.
At the time, he did not believe he had witnessed anything connected to a murder. As a result, he never contacted police.
His suspicions remain unverified, and there is no established evidence connecting satanic activity or animal burials to Beard’s murder.
Shortly after Blankenship spoke with the property owner, a search took place near the cemetery.
Four-hour excavation finds nothing
Texas EquuSearch was brought in to assist with the search near the Brazoria County cemetery.
Photographs show excavation equipment removing soil while search personnel carefully examined the ground by hand.
The search focused on an area near where a witness claimed Rebecca Beard was buried alive in 1986.
The operation lasted approximately four hours.
Despite the extensive digging, a source familiar with the search said nothing was found.
Nearly 40 years after Beard’s murder, her remains are still missing.
The latest search has not resolved the questions surrounding her disappearance or the witness’s allegations.
Rebecca Beard disappeared after visiting Freeport nightclub
Rebecca Beard was just 22 years old when she disappeared in March 1986.
She had visited the Excalibur Club in Freeport before vanishing.
Her disappearance left behind a young daughter and a family desperate for answers.
In 1995, Paul Taylor Jr. pleaded guilty to her murder.
However, Beard’s body was never recovered.
Over the years, investigators examined evidence connected to the Excalibur Club and a residence in Clute.
Former investigators also raised questions about evidence discovered during earlier searches.
Despite those investigative efforts, Beard’s remains have never been located.
Family has searched for answers for four decades
For Beard’s mother, Linda Barnes, and sister, Carol Mize, the search has continued for nearly 40 years.
Both have spent decades trying to learn what happened to Becky and where her remains may be.
The latest excavation did not provide the answers they have sought.
Investigators have questioned the cemetery witness’s credibility. The property owner’s account of suspicious activity also remains unverified.
Still, the recent search shows that possible leads continue to emerge decades after Beard’s murder.
The latest excavation raises an important question.
If investigators did not believe the cemetery witness, what prompted renewed interest in the area?
That question remains unanswered.
For Beard’s family, the ultimate goal has not changed.
They want to find Becky and bring her home.
Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose continues investigating the Rebecca Beard murder through public records, interviews, and firsthand accounts. Her documentary, Finding Becky Beard, examines evidence, witness statements, and unanswered questions surrounding the 1986 case. The documentary is available on YouTube.
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