North Texas murder suspect arrested again for unlicensed silencer

A Rowlett man charged with murdering the mother of his child was arrested again on a federal firearms charge.

DALLAS - A Rowlett man charged with murdering the mother of his child was arrested again on a federal firearms charge.

Andrew Charles Beard, 33, is now charged with the possession of a silencer in addition to the original murder charge.

Carrollton police say Beard tried to disguise himself as a Black man when he killed his ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Alyssa Burkett, in an ambush-style attack outside her workplace in early October.

Court records show Beard had just lost a custody battle over their 1-year-old daughter.

Burkett’s friends and family members said she feared for her life and suspected Beard might be tracking her. Investigators did find evidence suggesting he had placed a tracking device on her car, as well as her new boyfriend’s car.

Beard was jailed on a $1 million bond but posted bail and was released to home confinement.

United States Attorney Erin Nealy Cox was outraged over his release.

“Given the brutality of his alleged crimes, it’s unthinkable that Mr. Beard bonded out of county jail,” she said. “I am proud that our federal law enforcement partners acted quickly so that we could file federal charges. It is our fervent hope that justice will be swift, and that Mr. Beard will be kept behind bars — state or federal — before he can inflict more harm.”

Cox has been vocal against gun violence related to domestic violence. She vowed to take a stand in 2019.

“We cannot and should not stand by with so many domestic disputes going from bruises to bullets and bloodshed,” she said.

Carrolton police found 18 weapons at Beard’s home during their initial search on Oct. 2, including a .22 caliber revolver.

It wasn’t until Oct. 26, five days after Beard was released on bond, that an ATF investigator checking out evidence photos noticed a metal cylinder believed to be a firearm silencer, according to a criminal complaint.

“They did see that it was a homemade silencer,” explained Sara Abel, with the ATF Dallas Field Office. “It did not have any serial numbers or manufacturing markings.”

The ATF says it has no records of Beard legally owning a silencer and that the silencer has no manufacturer markings or a serial number.

Burkett’s family can’t help but think of the life she had ahead of her and her 1-year-old child who she loved.

“Her baby gets up in the morning and goes right to a picture of her mother and picks it up and kisses it every day,” her grandfather said.

Prosecutors are seeking federal detention. Beard is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.