Family of woman killed 36 years ago ask Texas Parole Board to keep her convicted killer behind bars

ANGLETON, Texas (KTRK) -- Nearly forty years since her disappearance and murder, the remains of a Freeport woman still haven't been found, and her family is asking her killer to tell them.

In 1986, 22-year-old Rebecca Beard suddenly went missing. Eight years after her disappearance, a man named Paul Taylor admitting to killing her and then disposing of the body. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Now, Taylor is up for parole much to the dismay of Beard's family.

The family has a petition with more than 6,000 signatures so far asking the Texas Parole Board not to release Taylor back into society.

As of 2022, Rebecca's family made an agreement with Taylor. The agreement: if he showed them where her remains are and they are found, he would be immediately released.

Earlier in the summer, they excavated for days in an area of Angleton hoping to find Beard and lay her to rest.

The family believes that Taylor led them to the wrong place after coming up with nothing.

A few weeks ago, the family received notice that Taylor was going to be considered for parole, which has happened before. Except for this time, they say it is different.

"He has been in there for a while and there was a letter written from the district attorney because he was cooperative during the search, and he wrote that to the parole board, and it's just not about being cooperative it's about finding her," Carol Mize, Beard's sister, said.

The family's mission for the past 36 years has been to find their loved one. They said that no remains equal no parole for Taylor.

If you would like to follow the developments of Becky's case you can go to the Finding Becky Facebook page.

If you want to sign the petition you can click here.

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