ROWLETT, Texas — The former fiancé of a Rowlett man convicted of cyberstalking and killing another woman, who was his ex-girlfriend, has been charged with helping to orchestrate the murder, federal officials announced Friday.
Andrew Charles Beard, 36, pleaded guilty to the 2020 murder of his ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Alyssa Ann Burkett, in June of 2022. Beard was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison in May.
Now, Holly Ann Elkins, the 32-year-old ex-fiancée of Beard, has been indicted on three charges related to the slaying: Conspiracy to stalk, stalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury and death, and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Elkins was arrested in Miami on Thursday, July 6, federal officials said in a release.
According to the indictment, Elkins allegedly helped plot the Oct. 2, 2020 killing of Burkett, with whom Beard shared a child. The indictment alleged that in the summer of 2020, Elkins and Beard purchased a GPS tracking device and secretively installed it on Burkett’s vehicle.
On July 25, 2020, Elkins allegedly called the police using a fake name and falsely reported she observed Burkett’s car driving dangerously. Less than a month later, Elkins allegedly falsely reported that Burkett’s mother had assaulted her in Burkett’s presence, federal officials said.
Then, on Sept. 2, 2020, federal officials said Elkins and Beard allegedly planted illegal drugs and a pistol with an obliterated serial number in the trunk of Burkett’s vehicle in order to have her arrested. Later that day, Elkins allegedly texted Beard a photo of Burkett’s license plate number so that he could provide it to police in a false report that Burkett was selling drugs out of the car. Beard then called police using a fake name and reported that Burkett was selling drugs to men at the apartment complex where she worked. He provided the license plate number on the photo Elkins sent.
On Sept. 13, 2020, Elkins and Beard allegedly purchased a van to carry out a planned attack on Ms. Burkett. On Sept. 14, 2020, Elkins purchased makeup for Beard’s disguise. On Sept. 19, 2020, the pair allegedly purchased .410 shotgun shells and a Camillus knife.
On Oct. 2, 2020, Beard shot Burkett in the head while she sat behind the wheel of her car in her work parking lot. Beard thought Burkett died and ran back to the SUV to drive away. After Burkett — who was severely injured and bloodied from the shotgun blast — exited her car and attempted to get help in a nearby building, Beard returned and stabbed Burkett 13 times.
Burkett died in the parking lot as Beard raced away from the scene.
During the murder, Elkins allegedly remained at Beard’s home with Burkett’s child in an attempt to establish an alibi. A few days later, in an interview with law enforcement, Elkins falsely claimed Beard was home at the time of the murder.
If convicted, Elkins faces up to two consecutive life sentences in federal prison.
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