Michael Bever’s defense team recently announced they would not be pursuing an insanity defense for their client. In 2015, a then 16-year-old Michael Bever, and his then 18-year-old brother Robert, stabbed and killed their parents, 52-year-old David Bever and 44-year-old April Bever, in their Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, home. However, they didn’t stop there. They also killed their siblings, Daniel, 12, Christopher, 7, and Victoria, 5. Surviving the attack was 13-year-old Crystal, who had been stabbed, and 2-year-old Autumn who was unharmed.The motive the brothers allegedly gave for the killing spree was they wanted to be ‘more famous than Columbine.’ In 2016, Robert Bever pleaded guilty to murder in order to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to five life sentences without parole. Michael Bever has been charged as an adult in the murders.
Bever’s defense contends the parents were committing psychological child abuse which is not totally out of the realm of possibility. However, that doesn’t explain why they killed their brothers and sister as well. Not to mention that according to their surviving sister, the duo was allegedly planning the murder at least a year in advance.
Previously, the defense has tried saying Michael only went along with the murders because he was scared of his brother, but investigators say that Robert feigned he was in danger in order to get his siblings to open the door to the room where they were hiding so they could be killed.
Michael Bever’s trial has been delayed a number of times, but it looks like it’s finally set to start on April 16th. Unlike his brother, since he was a juvenile at the time of the crime, Michael Bever is not facing the death penalty. With any luck, he’ll receive the same sentence his brother did.
UPDATE 5/9/2018: Michael Bever was convicted in the five murders of his family members.
Real Crime with Trench Reynolds 