On July 22, 2015, 15-year-old Michael Bever and his 18-year-old brother, Robert Bever, mu*rdered their parents, two brothers, and a sister inside their Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, home. The brothers attempted to m*urder their 13-year-old sister, Crystal, by sta*bbing her multiple times in the back and slitting her throat. She survived her injuries and would later identify her brothers as the assailants of the attack.
Brothers Attack Family
April Bever had 48 sta*b wounds.
The brothers discovered their younger siblings hiding in the bathroom after st*abbing their mother. Michael threatened to k*ill them if they did not open the door. Michael st*abbed both of them to de*ath as soon as they opened the door. Christopher, 7, was sta*bbed 21 times, while Victoria, 5, was sta8bbed 23 times.
Daniel, the youngest brother, was the next victim. By the time his brothers discovered him hiding in his father’s office, he had dialed 9-1-1. After tricking his brother into opening the office door, Michael told Robert, “he’s all yours,” after he complied with the request.
9-1-1 Call
While Daniel was on the phone with the 911 operator, Michael snatched the phone from his grasp and smashed it into the floor. Then Robert sta*bbed him 21 times. When father David heard the commotion inside the house, he emerged from his bedroom. He was st*abbed 28 times by Robert.
The brothers did not intend to m*urder their two-year-old sister. She fell asleep during the entire event.
After m*urdering their family, Robert and Michael intended to go on a cross-country ki*lling spree, but things went awry when Daniel called the cops.
Police Force Themselves Inside Home
When the cops arrived, they knocked on the door. They forced their way inside after hearing a voice calling for help. They discovered Crystal on the floor, bleeding from multiple sta*b wounds.
Crystal was removed from the house and police continued their search. They discovered the bodies of the remaining family members. The search also turned up protective gear and a variety of weapons, including knives and hatchets.
The brothers had fled the house by this point, but a K9 unit quickly tracked them down. For the attack on Crystal, they were arrested and charged with five counts of first-degree m*urder, one count of battery with a de*adly we*apon, and one count of aggravated assault.
Sentencing
Robert entered a guilty plea to all charges. For each mu*rder, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On the assault charges, he was sentenced to life in prison.
On the assault charge, Michael received five consecutive life sentences and 28 years in prison. After serving 85% of his sentence, he was eligible for parole.
Crystal testified in court on behalf of the defense that her father, David Bever, physically and verbally abused his children. The same claims were made by Robert. The children were homeschooled by devout Christians and had little interaction with other children. Neighbors reported that Robert and Michael had strange demeanors.
Why Did the Brothers M*urder Their Family?
Robert and Michael had planned the mu*rders for some time, and they had hoped to take more lives than they did. Police discovered an outline of the brother’s plans on a hard drive in the home’s PC.
Robert, who admired serial kil*lers, told detectives he hoped to ki*ll five people in different locations, totaling 500 or more people.
He went on to say that he and his brother intended to dismember their family members’ bodies and hide them in plastic totes in the attic in order to steal the family car and commit the additional mu*rders.
The brothers aspired to be famous mass mu*rderers on a scale greater than the Columbine High School massacre.
Surviving Children
The surviving children were placed in state custody. The Bever home remained vacant for two years before officials finally destroyed the property and turned it into a memorial park.
