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Bever family murders

SOLVED2015709 Magnolia Court, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma4 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On the night of July 22, 2015, 18-year-old Robert Bever and his 16-year-old brother Michael attacked their family with knives and other bladed weapons at the family's home at 709 Magnolia Court in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Twelve-year-old Daniel Bever called 911 to report that his brother was attacking the family; he was killed by the assailants during the call, but the call alerted police, who arrived and found 13-year-old Crystal Bever critically wounded on the porch, along with the bodies of Daniel and four other family members inside. A two-year-old sister, Autumn, was found alive and unharmed upstairs; the brothers later said they had intended to decapitate her.

Killed in the attack were the parents, David Bever, 52, and April Bever, 44, and three younger children: Daniel Bever, 12; Christopher Bever, 7; and Victoria Bever, 5. A medical examiner determined the cause of death for all five was multiple sharp force injuries, with each victim sustaining more than 20 stab or blunt-force wounds. Crystal Bever, 13, survived after her throat was slit and she was stabbed in the stomach and arms; she identified Robert and Michael as the attackers and underwent surgery.

The brothers fled into a wooded area behind the house and were apprehended by police using a K9 unit within roughly 45 minutes, found hiding beneath a bush. Robert was armed with a knife at the time of arrest. Investigators later recovered a flash drive, computers, and surveillance cameras from the home; Robert confessed that the brothers had planned the familicide for months and intended to go on to commit a mass shooting spree outside the family, aiming to surpass the death tolls of the Columbine and Aurora attacks, with a stated goal of reaching a body count of up to 500. Detectives also found body armor, a hatchet, darts, and other weapons and protective gear at the home; Robert said he had taken a job to fund weapon and armor purchases and had guns and ammunition ordered for delivery.

Both brothers were charged with five counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill; Michael was charged as an adult. Robert Bever pleaded guilty to all counts and was sentenced on September 7, 2016, to six life sentences plus an additional life term, without the possibility of parole. Michael Bever's trial began April 16, 2018; he was found guilty on May 9, 2018, and on August 9, 2018, was sentenced to five life sentences with parole eligibility after 225 years. Robert attempted suicide in custody in June 2016 and, on July 15, 2019, attempted to attack two prison officers at Joseph Harp Correctional Center, resulting in three additional life sentences imposed on November 17, 2020, bringing his total to nine life terms.

The family home was later destroyed by fire on March 18, 2017, and the site was redeveloped into a public memorial, Reflection Park, dedicated on March 27, 2019.

Key facts

Victims
April Bever, Christopher Bever, Daniel Bever, David Bever, Victoria Bever, Crystal Bever
Date
2015
Location
709 Magnolia Court, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2015-07-22

    Robert and Michael Bever attack their family with knives at the family home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; Daniel Bever calls 911 before being killed.

  2. 2015-07-23

    Police apprehend Robert and Michael Bever near the home; autopsies later determine victims died in the late hours of July 22 into the early hours of July 23.

  3. 2015-07-25

    Authorities announce Michael Bever will be charged as an adult.

  4. 2015-08-03

    Robert and Michael Bever are arraigned and plead not guilty.

  5. 2015-08-05

    Tulsa County Judge Bill Musseman rules that case documents be made public.

  6. 2016-06-17

    Robert Bever attempts suicide by hanging in custody; discovered by a detention officer.

  7. 2016-09-07

    Robert Bever pleads guilty to all counts and is sentenced to six life terms without parole plus an additional life term.

  8. 2018-04-16

    Michael Bever's trial begins.

  9. 2018-05-09

    Michael Bever is found guilty.

  10. 2018-08-09

    Michael Bever is sentenced to five life sentences with parole eligibility after 225 years.

  11. 2017-03-18

    The Bever family home is destroyed in a fire.

  12. 2019-03-27

    Reflection Park is dedicated on the site of the former Bever family home.

  13. 2019-07-15

    Robert Bever attempts to attack two prison officers at Joseph Harp Correctional Center.

  14. 2020-11-17

    Robert Bever is sentenced to three additional life terms, bringing his total to nine.

Best coverage

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People

  • April Bever

    VICTIM

    Mother, 44; killed by blunt-force trauma and stab wounds to the head, neck, torso, and arms and hands.

  • Christopher Bever

    VICTIM

    Brother, 7; killed by stab wounds to the back, chest, shoulder, and lower leg.

  • Daniel Bever

    VICTIM

    Brother, 12; called 911 during the attack and was killed by stab wounds to the back, shoulder, and chest.

  • David Bever

    VICTIM

    Father, 52; killed by stab wounds to the torso, face, neck, and left arm and hand.

  • Victoria Bever

    VICTIM

    Sister, 5; killed by stab wounds to both sides of the neck, chest, back, and upper arm.

  • Robert Bever

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill; sentenced to nine life terms without parole.

  • Michael Bever

    CONVICTED

    Convicted at trial of five counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill; sentenced to five life terms with parole eligibility after 225 years.

  • Crystal Bever

    VICTIM

    Sister, 13; survived after being stabbed and having her throat slit; identified her brothers as the attackers.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

709 Magnolia Court, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

35.9695, -95.7911

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On July 22, 2015, teenage brothers Robert and Michael Bever fatally stabbed their parents and three younger siblings inside their Broken Arrow, Oklahoma home, and seriously injured another sister. Robert pleaded guilty and received life without parole; Michael was convicted at trial and sentenced to life with parole eligibility after 225 years.
Where did the murders happen?
709 Magnolia Court, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Who was convicted?
Robert Bever (Pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill; sentenced to nine life terms without parole.) and Michael Bever (Convicted at trial of five counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill; sentenced to five life terms with parole eligibility after 225 years.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Oklahoma

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICBever family murdersWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — Associated PressAssociated Press · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — CBS NewsCBS News · 2026-07-07
  4. ENCYCLOPEDICBroken Arrow murdersWikipedia · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 13, 2026

  1. JUL 13, 2026Correction

    Catalog QA: Merged the Broken Arrow duplicate into the victim-family dossier.

  2. JUL 13, 2026Correction

    Catalog QA: consolidated duplicate /cases/broken-arrow-murders-2015 into this canonical dossier.