Bever Brothers Murder Entire Family

On July 22, 2015, 15-year-old Michael Bever and his 18-year-old brother, Robert Bever, murdered their parents, two brothers, and a sister inside their Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, home. The brothers attempted to murder their 13-year-old sister, Crystal, by stabbing her multiple times in the back and slitting her throat. She survived her injuries and would later identify her brothers as the assailants of the attack.

Brothers Attack Family

April Bever was stabbed 48 times.

After stabbing their mother, the brothers then found their younger siblings hiding in the bathroom. Michael told them to open the door or he would kill them. As soon as they opened the door, Michael stabbed both of them to death. 7-year-old Christopher sustained 21 stab wounds while 5-year-old Victoria was stabbed 23 times.

The youngest brother, 12-year-old Daniel, was the next victim. He had called 911 by the time the brothers found him hiding in his dad’s office. Michael tricked his brother into opening the office door, telling Robert, “he’s all yours,” once he complied with the request.

911 Call

As Daniel held on the line with the 911 operator, Michael grabbed the telephone out of his hands and smashed it into the floor. Robert then stabbed him 21 times. When father David heard the commotion going on inside the home, he came out of his bedroom. Robert stabbed him 28 times.

The brothers did not attempt to kill their 2-year-old sister. She slept through the entire event.

Robert and Michael planned to go on a cross country killing spree after murdering their family but things went awry since Daniel called police.

Police Force Themselves Inside Home

Police knocked on the door upon arrival. They heard a voice calling for help and forced their way inside. They found Crystal lying on the floor bleeding from multiple stab wounds.

Police removed Crystal from the home and continued their search. They found the remaining family members deceased. The search also revealed protective gear and numerous weapons including knives and hatchets.

The brothers had fled the house by this time, though a K9 unit located them within minutes. They were arrested and charged with five counts of first-degree murder, one count of battery with a deadly weapon, and one count of aggravated assault for the attack against Crystal.

Sentencing

Robert pleaded guilty to all charges. He was sentenced to life without parole for each murder. He was sentenced to life on the assault charges.

Michael was given five consecutive life sentences and 28-years on the assault charge. He was given the possibility of parole after serving 85% of his sentence.

In court, Crystal testified for the defense that her father, David Bever physically and verbally abused his children. Robert made the same claims. The devout Christians homeschooled the kids and limited their interaction with other kids. Neighbors told police Robert and Michael both had strange demeanors to them.

Why Did the Brothers Murder Their Family?

Robert and Michael planned the murders for some time, though hoped to take more lives than accomplished. Police found an outline of the brother's plans stored on a hard drive on a PC at the home.

Robert, who admired serial killers, told detectives he hoped to kill five people each at different locations and attain a total body count of 500 or more people.

He went on to say that he and his brother planned to dismember the bodies of their family members, hide them in plastic totes, and place them in the attic in order to steal the family car and commit the additional murders.

The brothers wanted to become famous mass murderers, even bigger than the Columbine High School massacre.

Surviving Children

The surviving children were placed in state custody. The Bever home remained vacant for two years before officials finally destroyed the property and turned it into a memorial park.