Texas EquuSearch helps family search for remains of Freeport woman murdered in 1986

The family of a murdered Freeport mother has a glimmer of hope that they may finally be able to lay her to rest nearly four decades later.

At the age of 22, Rebecca Beard went missing. In 1994, Paul Taylor admitted to murdering and hiding her body. He's serving life in prison.

In March 2022, nearly four decades later, Taylor led the FBI to where he says he buried her. For the last 10 days, EquuSearch has been excavating the area in hopes of finding her remains.

"The family offered Paul Taylor immediate release, that we would be willing to since he's already up for parole. But my mother and Becky's daughter all agreed that we would be okay with immediate release if he took them to the body. And he agreed to do that so they brought him here," said Becky's sister, Carol Mize. "If we're able to find the remains and they were verified. He would have immediate release."

Digging up hope for a family who has long awaited a miracle. For nearly four decades Rebecca's family hasn't been able to give her a proper goodbye.

"This is what we've waited for all these years. For somebody to finally look for her," said Mize.

Years of pain and grief met with renewed hope.

"I knew going into this it would be difficult at best... and the chances weren't really great but if we didn't do it there's no chance whatsoever," said Tim Miller with Texas EquuSearch.

Miller says his heart is a little closer to this case.

"Rebecca was buried and murdered in 1986 and they found Laura's body in 1986. Only a month apart," said Miller.

Laura is Tim's daughter. The reason he started Texas EquuSearch was to help others to begin with.

"It's time. It's time that she's someplace besides out here. And again I'm hoping that with all the animal activity and floods we've had in the past that she's still here. I believe wholeheartedly that she was at some time... so let's hope that she still is," said Miller.

That's her family's hope too. Becky was only 22 years old at the time of her disappearance and murder and her daughter was about to turn three.

"The last thing she said was I love you," said her sister Carol. "Becky was full of life. She didn't deserve this."

She says they still don't know why her murderer Paul Taylor did it or targeted Becky. Carol confirms Becky and her murderer didn't know each other. All they know is that her killing was in a drunken rage under the influence of drugs.

Miller says Becky was buried near her murders job at the time. In the same area, Miller says they will continue to search in Angleton until no stone has been left unturned.

The family has created a Facebook page to post updates on the search for Becky's remains.

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