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No body found after four-hour excavation near cemetery in Rebecca Beard murder case

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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

Wooded area near a Brazoria County cemetery where a witness claims Rebecca Beard was buried in 1986.
Area near the cemetery identified as a possible burial site in the Rebecca Beard murder investigation.

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

Recreation of the clothing Rebecca Beard was reportedly wearing when she disappeared in Freeport, Texas, in March 1986.
Recreation showing Rebecca “Becky” Beard wearing clothing similar to what she reportedly wore the night she disappeared in 1986.

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

Property near a Brazoria County cemetery where a search took place in connection with the 1986 Rebecca Beard murder investigation.
Vehicles and search personnel gather near the cemetery following renewed interest in a possible burial location for Rebecca “Becky” Beard.

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 personnel examine excavated soil during a search near a Brazoria County cemetery in the Rebecca Beard murder case.

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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Breaking News, Rebecca Beard, True Crime

Exclusive: A Career Inspired by Loss, Rebecca Beard’s Daughter Searches for Answers

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Entrance to the Beaumont-area ranch where Brittany Pipkin discussed the disappearance of her mother, Rebecca Beard, during an interview with Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose.
Brittany Pipkin lives on a multi-generation ranch near Beaumont, Texas. During an exclusive interview, she shared memories of her mother, Rebecca Beard, and discussed her family’s continuing search for answers. Photo by Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose.

Exclusive: A Career Inspired by Loss

BEAUMONT, Texas — The sprawling ranch stretches across thousands of acres near Beaumont. Cattle roam the fields, horses graze beneath towering oak trees and generations of family history remain rooted in the land.

“This ranch has been in the family since 1885,” Brittany Pipkin said.

However, the peaceful setting hides a lifetime of unanswered questions for Pipkin.

In March 1986, her mother, Rebecca Beard, disappeared while Pipkin was still a baby.

As a result, she grew up searching for answers about the tragedy that changed her family forever.

Watch the Full Video Report

Before Brittany Pipkin became a police officer, she was a daughter growing up without answers. Family photos and memories helped her piece together who Rebecca Beard was before her disappearance in 1986.

Rebecca Beard and Darrell Beard pose together in a family photograph taken before Rebecca’s disappearance in 1986.
Rebecca Beard and Darrell Beard in an undated family photograph. Family members say Rebecca was devoted to her daughter and dreamed of building a family

Growing Up Without Rebecca Beard

Before Brittany Pipkin began searching for answers, she first had to learn who her mother was.

To do that, she relied on family stories, old photographs and memories shared by her father, Darrell Beard.

According to Darrell, Rebecca was full of life and always made people laugh.

“She was fun loving,” Darrell recalled. “She loved to have fun. It was laughter, you know, a lot. Just having fun.”

Years before Rebecca’s disappearance, the couple met as teenagers and quickly fell in love.

Soon afterward, they began building a life together and dreamed of raising a family.

“She wanted a family,” Darrell said. “She wanted the same things I did.”

One memory stands out more than most.

After long days at work, Darrell would come home and spend time with his young daughter.

“When I came in from work, I’d take a shower and lay her on my bare chest,” he said. “That’s really what calmed her down.”

Although Brittany has few memories of her mother, those stories helped her understand the woman Rebecca was before her life was cut short.

Years later, Darrell wrote down memories of Rebecca for Brittany. As a result, she gained a deeper connection to the mother she never had the chance to know.

Today, those memories remain an important part of the family’s search for answers and their effort to keep Rebecca’s story alive.

Rebecca Beard holds her infant daughter, Brittany Pipkin, in a family photograph taken before Rebecca’s disappearance in 1986.
Rebecca Beard holds daughter Brittany Pipkin. Photo courtesy of the Beard family.
Rebecca Beard and Darrell Beard on their wedding day before Rebecca’s disappearance in 1986.
Rebecca and Darrell Beard on their wedding day. Photo courtesy of the Beard family.

Growing Up Without Rebecca Beard

Pipkin says she grew up hearing different stories about what happened to her mother.

For years, she believed Rebecca had been kidnapped.

As a result, she became determined to find answers.

“I wanted to hunt them down. I wanted to go find my mom,” Pipkin said.

Whenever she visited family, she asked questions about Rebecca and what happened to her.

Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance continued to grow.

“I always asked all the questions,” she said. “I just had this need to know. I still have this need to know because we don’t have all the details yet.”

Over time, that need for answers became part of who she was.

Eventually, those unanswered questions followed her into adulthood and helped shape her future career.

A Career Inspired by Loss

Because of those unanswered questions, Pipkin chose a career in law enforcement.

Brittany Pipkin and her father, Darrell Beard, review family records and memories of Rebecca Beard during an interview about the unsolved case.
Brittany Pipkin and Darrell Beard look through memories and documents related to Rebecca Beard’s disappearance. Photo by Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose.

The loss of her mother ultimately inspired Pipkin to pursue a career in law enforcement.

“My goal is I want to work murders,” she recalled telling a police chief during an early job interview. “I want to work crimes against women and children.”

Pipkin spent two years on patrol before moving into investigations.

While she helped other families find answers, she never stopped searching for answers in her own mother’s case.

That professional experience would later prove valuable as her family began reviewing decades of records connected to Rebecca Beard’s disappearance.

A Family Still Searching

Darrell Beard speaks about Rebecca Beard and the family’s ongoing search for answers more than 40 years after her disappearance.
More than four decades after Rebecca Beard disappeared, Darrell Beard remains hopeful the family will find answers. Photo by Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose.

More than four decades later, the family’s goal remains simple.

They want to bring Rebecca home.

“We just want to bring my mom home,” Pipkin said. “We want to have a place where we can visit, bring her flowers and honor her memory.”

Rebecca’s disappearance continues to affect multiple generations of her family.

Pipkin says she often thinks about the moments she missed growing up without her mother.

Shopping trips.

Boyfriends.

Mother’s Day celebrations.

The ordinary experiences many daughters take for granted.

“I still have this need to know,” she said.

Related Coverage

Read our previous coverage of the Rebecca Beard investigation:
https://www.chopperrose.com/tag/rebecca-beard/

Learn more about missing persons investigations through the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Coming Next

Damage visible inside a room connected to the Rebecca Beard investigation, shown in records reviewed by the family.
Evidence photos raised new questions.
Police records and case documents reviewed by Brittany Pipkin during her search for answers in the Rebecca Beard case.
Police records uncovered new leads.

In Part Two, Brittany Pipkin explains how police records, evidence photographs and court documents uncovered new questions in the Rebecca Beard case.

Editor’s Note: This story is Part One of a three-part series examining Rebecca Beard’s disappearance, the unanswered questions that remain and her family’s continuing search for answers.