On a tragic Mother's Day in May 2014, 24-year-old Jacqueline Darlene Beadle was found deceased in her Bossier City, Louisiana, home on Bragg Street. Her roommate, 26-year-old Karyl Cox, was also discovered lifeless at the residence. The grim discovery was made by Jacqueline's mother on the morning of May 11th after she had been unable to contact her daughter since Friday.
Jacqueline, a mother to a young son, had uncharacteristically not called to check on him while he was staying with his grandmother.
Upon entering the home, Jacqueline's mother found her daughter's body on the floor of her bedroom, concealed under a comforter. An autopsy would later reveal the brutal nature of her death; she had suffered a fatal contact gunshot wound over her left eyebrow, stab wounds to her neck and shoulder, defensive wounds on her hands, a blunt force injury to her nose, and various abrasions. Karyl Cox was found in her own bed, having also been shot multiple times.
The investigation quickly led to a person of interest, Brandon Butler, who was described as a friend of the two women. Suspicion fell on Butler, and he was subsequently arrested in Bogalusa and transferred to Bossier Parish to face charges. Evidence against him included the discovery of Jacqueline's blood and DNA on the underwear he had been wearing on the night of the murders. Butler's vehicle was also found parked on Sheryl Street in Bossier.
In July 2014, a Bossier Parish grand jury indicted Brandon Butler on two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors initially announced their intention to seek the death penalty, citing the vicious nature of the crimes and the fact that both victims were mothers to small children. However, in January 2019, the state withdrew its request for the death penalty. Following this decision, Butler waived his right to a jury trial in favor of a bench trial. After a trial that was rescheduled numerous times, Brandon S. Butler was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder. He received consecutive sentences of life imprisonment without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
