Beard’s Ex-Fiancé Charged in Brutal Murder of 24-Year-Old Mom

The former fiancé of a Rowlett man who shot and stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death in 2020 has been charged with helping to orchestrate the brutal slaying, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Holly Ann Elkins, the 32-year-old ex-fiancée of Andrew Charles Beard, was indicted last month on three charges: 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. She was arrested on Thursday in Miami and made her initial appearance in Miami on Friday afternoon.

According to the indictment, Ms. Elkins allegedly helped plot the Oct. 2, 2020 killing of Andrew Beard’s ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Alyssa Ann Burkett, with whom Mr. Beard shared a child.

(Mr. Beard has already pleaded guilty to cyberstalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and has begun serving his 43-year sentence.)

The indictment alleges that in the summer of 2020, Ms. Elkins and Mr. Beard purchased a GPS tracking device and surreptitiously installed it on Ms. Burkett’s vehicle.

On July 25, 2020, Ms. Elkins allegedly phoned the police using a fake name and falsely reported she observed Ms. Burkett’s car driving dangerously. Less than a month later, she allegedly falsely reported that Ms. Burkett’s mother had assaulted her in Ms. Burkett’s presence.

On Sept. 2, Ms. Elkins and Mr. Beard allegedly planted illegal drugs and a pistol with an obliterated serial number in the trunk of Ms. Burkett’s vehicle in order to have her arrested.  Later that day, Ms. Elkins allegedly texted Mr. Beard a photo of Ms. Burkett’s license plate number so that he could provide it to police in a false report that Ms. Burkett was selling drugs out of the car. Mr. Beard then phoned police using a fake name and reported that Ms. Burkett was selling drugs to men at the apartment complex where she worked. He provided the license plate number on the photo Ms. Elkins sent.

On Sept. 13, Ms. Elkins and Mr. Beard allegedly purchased a van to carry out a planned attack on Ms. Burkett.

On Sept. 14, Ms. Elkins purchased makeup for Mr. Beard’s disguise.

On Sept. 19, the pair allegedly purchased .410 shotgun shells and a Camillus knife.

On Oct. 2, 2020, Mr. Beard, disguised as a Black man, shot Ms. Burkett in the head while she sat behind the wheel of her car in her work parking lot. As she staggered out of the car, Mr. Beard grabbed her and stabbed her 13 times. She died in the parking lot as he raced away from the scene.

During the murder, Ms. Elkins allegedly remained at Mr. Beard’s home with Ms. Burkett’s child in an attempt to establish an alibi. A few days later, in an interview with law enforcement, Ms. Elkins falsely claimed Mr. Beard was home at the time of the murder.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Ms. Elkins is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, she faces up to two consecutive life sentences in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Carrollton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Tromblay and Andrew Briggs are prosecuting the case.