A Rowlett woman who helped her fiancé orchestrate the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend was sentenced today to two consecutive life sentences, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Holly Ann Elkins was indicted in June 2023. A jury convicted her in April 2024 of conspiracy to stalk, stalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death, and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. She was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle.

Ms. Elkins’ former fiancé, Andrew Beard, previously pleaded guilty to stalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison.

“Month after month, Holly Elkins and Andrew Beard relentlessly harassed Alyssa Ann Burkett. They called her despicable names. They filed false police reports. They placed illegal contraband in her vehicle. And when all that failed, they plotted a particularly painful and bloody death,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “We can never bring back what Ms. Burkett’s family has lost. We can never heal the pain her young daughter has had to endure. But we can give them this measure of justice. Holly Elkins and Andrew Beard will never terrorize their family again.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Ms. Elkins helped plot the Oct. 2, 2020 murder of 24-year-old Alyssa Ann Burkett, Mr. Beard’s ex-girlfriend, with whom he shared a young daughter.

The government argued that Ms. Elkins – who apparently dreamt of a life with Mr. Beard and a mother/ child relationship with his daughter – repeatedly attempted to call into question Ms. Burkett’s fitness as a parent. When that failed, Ms. Elkins goaded Mr. Beard into taking Ms. Burkett’s life, labeling the victim a “c**t” and a “dumb b**ch” and a “garbage s**t mom.”

The perpetrators’ relationship began in early April 2020. Later that month, Ms. Elkins spent her first weekend with Mr. Beard and his daughter. By May, the couple were shopping for engagement rings. In June, however, Ms. Elkins grew frustrated at Mr. Beard’s continuing association with Ms. Burkett, writing, “your BM [baby mamma] owns you,” “you continue to put BM first,” “you choose to be idk for lack of a better term submissive to her,” and “I don’t have want or need any bullshit from anyone.”

Ms. Elkins began a campaign to harass Ms. Burkett in summer 2020, shortly after Ms. Elkins moved into Mr. Beard’s home.

In June, Ms. Elkins and Mr. Beard conspired to place a GPS tracker on Ms. Burkett’s vehicle.  A  month later, Ms. Elkins placed a call to 911 under the name fake “Amber,” falsely claiming that Ms. Burkett’s car was driving erratically on the interstate.  In August 2020, Ms. Elkins falsely reported to police that Ms. Burkett’s mother had attacked her, creating scratches on her own chest to support the lie. Five days later, Ms. Elkins and Mr. Beard paid a private investigator to dig up dirt on Ms. Burkett and her new boyfriend. (The investigator, who testified at trial, found nothing incriminating.) In September, Ms. Elkins helped Mr. Beard plant drugs and a gun in Ms. Burkett’s vehicle; Mr. Beard then placed a call to police under a fake name claiming Ms. Burkett was selling drugs to black men out of her car.

Then, on Sept. 10, just three weeks before the murder, Ms. Elkins accompanied Mr. Beard to a sporting goods store, where he purchased a black rainsuit in cash.  On Sept. 14, two and a half weeks before the murder, Ms. Elkins purchased dark makeup from a drug store.  On Sept. 19, she accompanied Mr. Beard to a big box store, where they purchased .410 shotgun shells and a Camillus knife.

One week prior to the murder, Ms. Elkins texted Mr. Beard and said “I hope you handle it.” She requested that he be “ride or die” for her and said if he was not, she is not sure the relationship can continue. Shortly after that text exchange, Google records reflect that Andrew Beard began conducting searches for how to remove gunpowder from his hands.

On Oct. 2, 2020, Mr. Beard, dressed in a black rainsuit and disguised as a Black man, shot Ms. Burkett in the head with a shotgun while she sat behind the wheel of her car in her work parking lot. As she staggered out of the car, Mr. Beard grabbed her and stabbed and slashed her 44 times.  Her coworkers testified at trial that they found Ms. Burkett covered in blood and gasping for air in front of her office front door. She died as her coworkers tried to render aid to her.

During the murder, Ms. Elkins stayed at Beard’s home in Rockwall with Ms. Burkett’s daughter. In an attempt to create an alibi, she later claimed Mr. Beard had been home with her during the crime.

At the trial, Ms. Burkett’s new boyfriend testified that he believed Ms. Elkins was the “puppet master” behind the murder.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Carrollton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Tromblay, Rick Calvert, and Ryan Niedermair are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle presided over trial.