MIDLOTHIAN, Texas -- Investigators collected a women's shirt with blood on it from a dry cleaner that was dropped off by Randy Bevers, slain fitness instructor Missy Bevers' father-in-law, according to a search warrant affidavit from Midlothian police.
A source with knowledge of the investigation downplayed the significance of the warrant. At this point, investigators do not believe the blood on the clothing is connected to the murder of Missy Bevers.
The source says Randy Bevers’ dog got into a fight with another dog. In that process, blood splattered on clothing belonging to Randy Bevers.
The veterinarian where Randy Bevers took his dog for treatment has confirmed the story about the dog fight. The source also says Randy Bevers’ dog died from its injuries.
“You have to vet the information,” the source told us. “You can’t take it at face value. Legally, [obtaining a search warrant] is the only way to do that.”
Investigators are awaiting the result of DNA testing to be sure the blood does, in fact, belong to an animal.
According to the warrant, an employee at Dry Clean Super Center told police Randy Bevers had told them the shirt -- which is a women's XXL white, long-sleeve shirt -- had animal blood on it. The employee also said it looked as if someone had attempted to clean the shirt before it was dropped off.
News 8 spoke to Bevers' sister-in-law, Kristi Stout, Wednesday evening. She says the search warrant is not what it seems.
Randy Bevers and his wife arrived in Midlothian from Oceanside, California, with their pets, shortly after Missy was killed. Stout said a few days after Missy Bevers was murdered, there came another kind of heartbreak when her dog, Yogi, killed another family pet.
"Kilo is the little dog that was killed, he was standing next to my step mom," Stout said. "He's very protective of her."
Her step mom's Chihuahua snapped at Stout's English Mastiff.
"Well, Yogi saw this and ran into the kitchen and grabbed Kilo and just would not release," Stout said.
She says her mother-in-law held her dying dog in her arms, leaving a trail of blood on her shirt.
Bevers was killed by an unknown assailant at Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian on the morning of April 18 when she arrived to teach a fitness class sometime after 4 a.m. Police say she died of a head injury.
Motion-activated surveillance video from the church shows a suspect arrived a short time before Bevers that morning and could been seen going from room to room in the church. The suspect was clad in police-style tactical gear and carrying an object police believe was used to smash in windows to break into the church.
Sources told News 8 earlier this week that investigators are certain that Bevers was the target, and did not stumble into a burglary gone bad. They further believe that the scene was staged to make it look like there had been a burglary.
Missy Bevers' widower, Brandon, also confirmed Stout's story about the dogs on Wednesday.
"We don't want to spend 24 hours of no statement and allow people to go ballistic," he said.
Brandon Bevers came with his father Randy to the Midlothian Police Department to remind the public to stick to the facts of his wife's case.
"Everything else that's speculative is speculative, and there's nothing I can do about that," Brandon Bevers said.
They feel that energy can be better spent finding this killer, and Stout agrees.
"I feel like we're sitting here talking about a dog, and this killer is probably having a margarita, enjoying this nice weather," Stout said.
The Bevers family say detectives warned them that when this warrant became available, it would raise some eyebrows.
Bevers' father in-law said that's why they spoke about it Wednesday afternoon to "put out the fire."
Meanwhile police say they are stating to turn their focus on Missy Bevers' cell phone records.