Tag Archives: Public Information Request

Brazoria County, Breaking News, Crime & Courts, Investigations, Paul Taylor Jr., Rebecca Beard, Texas Cold Cases, Texas Crime, Texas News, True Crime

Texas AG rules on records in Rebecca Beard investigation

Leave a comment

By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose

Texas Attorney General ruling on Rebecca “Becky” Beard investigation records, with Beard’s photo, Texas Capitol and case file graphic.
The Texas Attorney General ruled Aug. 28, 2026, that Brazoria County may withhold investigative information tied to the Rebecca “Becky” Beard case, but must release basic information.

More records in the decades-old Rebecca “Becky” Beard case will remain out of public view for now.

The Texas Attorney General issued a new ruling Aug. 28 allowing Brazoria County to withhold investigative information because authorities say it relates to an ongoing criminal case.

But the ruling comes with an important exception.

Brazoria County must release the basic information.

I have already requested it.

New ruling in the Rebecca Beard records investigation

Rebecca “Becky” Beard holding her daughter before her 1986 disappearance
Rebecca “Becky” Beard pictured with her daughter before Becky disappeared from Freeport, Texas, in March 1986.

Beard was 22 when she disappeared after leaving the Excalibur Club in Freeport in March 1986.

Her body has never been recovered.

Paul Taylor Jr. pleaded guilty in 1995 in connection with her death, but questions surrounding the case have continued for decades.

My investigation has included multiple public information requests seeking Brazoria County records connected to the case.

Those requests have now resulted in another Attorney General ruling.

Brazoria County says the criminal case is ongoing

The Aug. 28 decision provides an important detail about the current status of the investigation.

According to the Attorney General, Brazoria County said a law enforcement agency objected to releasing the information because it “relates to an ongoing criminal case.”

The county argued that releasing the records could interfere with that case.

The Attorney General agreed that the investigative information may be withheld under Section 552.108(a)(1) of the Texas Government Code.

However, the ruling also says the county must release basic information under Section 552.108(c).

Eight Brazoria County records requests included in ruling

The Attorney General combined eight Brazoria County reference numbers in the decision:

26-1859, 26-1865, 26-1874, 26-1933, 26-1947, 26-1950, 26-1991 and 26-2012.

The Attorney General assigned the matter request ID 26-033498.

The Aug. 28 decision is OR2026-038106.

What will Brazoria County release?

That is now the question.

The ruling does not mean Brazoria County must turn over the entire investigative file.

It does mean the county cannot withhold everything.

I have submitted a follow-up request seeking the basic information that the Attorney General says must be released.

Once those records arrive, I will review them and report what they reveal.

After 40 years, the Rebecca Beard case continues to generate new questions — and the state now confirms that authorities still consider the matter tied to an ongoing criminal case.

Read the Attorney General ruling

I have included the Aug. 28, 2026 Texas Attorney General ruling connected to these Brazoria County records requests below.

The ruling, OR2026-038106, says the county may withhold investigative information tied to the ongoing criminal case, but must release basic information.

Texas Attorney General ruling OR2026-038106

Rebecca Beard Texas AG Ruling, Aug. 28, 2026Download

Visiting Brazoria County?

For readers traveling to Brazoria County for court proceedings, research or other business, Hotels.com can help compare accommodations throughout the area and along the Texas Gulf Coast.

This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a commission from qualifying bookings at no additional cost to you.

Tools for digging through public records

view on amazon

Public-records investigations often mean sorting through court filings, police reports, photographs and hundreds of pages of documents. Amazon has portable scanners, external drives, document organizers and other tools that can help keep large research projects organized.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Brazoria County, Breaking News, Crime & Courts, Investigations, Paul Taylor Jr., Rebecca Beard, Texas Crime, Texas News, True Crime

Brazoria County seeks to withhold records tied to 2026 Rebecca Beard investigation

Leave a comment

By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose

Rebecca Beard pictured before her disappearance in Texas in 1986.
Texas Department of Public Safety missing person bulletin for Rebecca “Becky” Beard, who disappeared in 1986.

Brazoria County seeks to withhold Rebecca Beard records

Brazoria County prosecutors are asking the Texas Attorney General for permission to withhold records connected to the renewed investigation into the 1986 disappearance and murder of Rebecca “Becky” Beard.

The August 25 filing also reveals new details about the investigation.

Prosecutors confirmed investigators examined information involving possible additional suspects in Beard’s murder. They also confirmed investigators recently presented their findings to a Brazoria County grand jury.

The grand jury took no action.

Records request targeted 2026 investigation

I submitted a Texas Public Information Act request on August 10 seeking records related to the 2026 investigation.

The request focused on information provided by Cherie Starr, also known as “Rio.”

I requested interviews, statements, reports, recordings, photographs, maps and investigative notes connected to Starr’s information.

I also sought records concerning any location Starr identified as a possible site for Beard’s remains or other evidence.

The request included records involving a possible search, excavation or dig.

I also requested communications between the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office, Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers and other law enforcement agencies.

Importantly, the request did not seek secret grand jury testimony, deliberations, voting records or juror identities.

Brazoria County confirms responsive records exist

The District Attorney’s Office confirmed it holds records that respond to the request.

However, prosecutors want to withhold those records in their entirety.

In its August 25 letter to the Texas Attorney General, the DA’s Office cited the law-enforcement exception under Section 552.108 of the Texas Government Code.

Prosecutors argue that Beard’s murder investigation remains open because her body has never been recovered.

They contend releasing the requested records could interfere with that continuing investigation.

Filing reveals investigation of possible additional suspects

The filing provides an important glimpse into what happened during the renewed investigation.

Prosecutors wrote that their office had recently investigated “other possible actors/defendants” in Beard’s murder.

According to the filing, investigators presented those findings to a Brazoria County grand jury.

The DA’s Office said the grand jury took no action because investigators did not develop other credible suspects.

That disclosure provides new information about the scope of the 2026 investigation.

It shows investigators did more than simply review an old case file. They examined whether other people may have played a role in Beard’s murder and brought those findings before a grand jury.

Paul Taylor was convicted, but Becky remains missing

Paul Taylor beside his 2007 writ stating that he was challenging a parole issue, not his conviction
Paul Taylor’s 2007 writ focused on repeated parole denials. In the filing, he wrote that he was not challenging his murder conviction.

John Paul Taylor Jr. pleaded guilty in 1995 to murdering Beard.

Beard was 22 when she disappeared in March 1986.

Her body has never been recovered.

The DA’s filing cites that fact as one reason the murder investigation remains open. Prosecutors argue law enforcement must remain able to investigate credible new leads if they emerge.

Prosecutors also claim attorney work-product protection

The District Attorney’s Office makes another argument for withholding the records.

Prosecutors say the requested investigative notes and materials contain attorney work product.

According to the filing, a DA investigator prepared the records while working at the direction of an appointed special prosecutor.

The DA argues the documents contain investigative strategy, mental impressions and legal reasoning connected to potential criminal litigation.

For those reasons, prosecutors asked the Attorney General to allow them to withhold all of the responsive records.

The Attorney General will decide

The August 25 filing is not a final ruling on my records request.

It is Brazoria County’s argument for why the records should remain confidential.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office will now review the arguments and determine whether state law allows Brazoria County to withhold the requested material.

The decision could allow the county to withhold the records, require the release of some information, or require additional responsive material to be released.

I will continue following the records dispute and the investigation into what happened to Rebecca Beard.

The public records request and Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office filing to the Texas Attorney General are attached below.

AG EX A 26-2686 – Tammy Rose requestDownload
AG MemoDownload

Planning a trip to Brazoria County?

If you are traveling to Brazoria County to follow developments in the Rebecca Beard case, you can compare hotel options through Hotels.com. Look for rooms near Angleton, Lake Jackson, Freeport or the surrounding area, depending on your plans.

I may earn a commission from qualifying Hotels.com bookings made through my link, at no additional cost to you.

What to bring for a long reporting day

view on amazon

Court records, interviews and long hours on the road can mean a lot of waiting. A portable phone charger, reusable water bottle and lightweight bag can make the day easier. You can find travel gear and everyday reporting essentials on Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Investigations, Rebecca Beard, Texas Cold Cases, True Crime

Texas Public Information Act Request: Dash Camera Released, Body Camera Pending

Leave a comment
Raw dash camera image released through a Texas Public Information Act request showing a Brazoria County sheriff’s deputy speaking with individuals during a May 11, 2026 encounter related to the Rebecca Beard investigation.
Screenshot from the dash camera video released by Brazoria County in response to a Texas Public Information Act request. The recording contains no audio. The requested body camera video remains pending while the Texas Attorney General reviews whether it may be withheld.

Texas Public Information Act Request Leads to Dash Camera Release While Body Camera Remains Under Review

The Brazoria County Criminal District Attorney’s Office released the dash camera recording in response to my Texas Public Information Act request. The responding deputy’s body camera recording remains under review by the Texas Attorney General.

Redactions LetterDownload

Page one of the Brazoria County Criminal District Attorney’s Office response confirming my public information request, payment, and the release of the dash camera recording while the requested body camera recording remains under review by the Texas Attorney General.

By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose

Transparency matters. That is why I filed a Texas Public Information Act request after an encounter with a woman connected to the Rebecca Beard investigation.

The request resulted in sheriff’s reports, dispatch records, redacted documents, and dash camera video. However, one important record remains unavailable. The Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office has asked the Texas Attorney General to decide whether the responding deputy’s body camera can be withheld.

This article explains what happened, what the released records show, and why I continue to seek the body camera recording.

Why I Went to the Property

As an investigative reporter, I believe everyone deserves an opportunity to comment before publication.

I went to Cherie “Rio” Starr’s residence to request an interview about statements she has made regarding the Rebecca Beard investigation.

She declined to comment.

According to the incident report, Starr told deputies she was a protected witness and wanted to know how I obtained her personal information.

The report also states she believed someone had sent me to her property.

I Returned to My Jeep

After Starr declined to comment, I walked back to my Jeep because I intended to leave.

According to the sheriff’s report, I told deputies that Starr and Kenneth Cadenhead prevented me from leaving the property.

The dashcam video released by Brazoria County contains no audio. Therefore, it cannot capture the conversations that occurred during the encounter.

However, the video does show Starr standing near my driver’s side while Cadenhead remained behind my Jeep during part of the incident.

According to my recollection, both were asking me to identify my confidential source.

I declined.

Why I Would Not Reveal My Source

The incident report notes that I refused to identify my source.

That decision was intentional.

Protecting confidential sources is a long-standing practice in investigative journalism. Sources often provide information only because they trust reporters to keep their identities confidential.

My purpose that day was to request an interview. It was not to disclose who provided information for my reporting.

A Detail Not Included in the Report

One part of the encounter is not reflected in the written incident report.

According to my recollection, while standing near my driver’s side door, Starr told me she would agree to an interview “when this is all over.”

She also indicated that the Rebecca Beard investigation remained an active case that had never been closed.

Because the released dashcam has no audio, viewers cannot hear that conversation.

For that reason, I continue to seek release of the responding deputy’s body camera recording.

What the Public Records Show

My Texas Public Information Act request produced several records, including:

Sheriff’s incident reports
Dispatch and CAD records
Dashcam video
Redacted documents

The only major record that has not been released is the deputy’s body camera.

The District Attorney’s Office has asked the Texas Attorney General to determine whether that recording may be withheld under the Texas Public Information Act.

Receiving a request for an Attorney General ruling does not automatically mean the recording will never be released. The Attorney General will determine whether any exceptions to disclosure apply under Texas law.

How I Obtained the Records

Many people ask how to request police records in Texas.

In my case, I submitted a Texas Public Information Act request to Brazoria County.

After receiving a cost estimate, I paid the required fee at the Brazoria County Treasurer’s Office inside the courthouse.

The courthouse is beautiful, although locating the correct office can be a little confusing for first-time visitors.

After payment was processed, I went to the District Attorney’s Office to pick up the responsive records.

Everyone I dealt with during the process was courteous and helpful.

I also received more records than I expected.

Part Two Is Coming Soon

In Part Two, I will explain the Texas Public Information Act process step by step.

I will also show:

How to submit an open records request
Where to pay the required fees
How to pick up responsive records
Why some records are released immediately while others require a ruling from the Texas Attorney General

Understanding the process can help anyone request public records in Texas.

⸻

Related Investigations

⸻

Equipment I Use

For field reporting and investigative journalism, I rely on equipment that performs well in demanding conditions.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no additional cost to you.