Celeste Beard
Encyclopedia
Celeste Beard Johnson, is a convicted American murderer currently serving a life sentence at the Mountain View Unit
in Gatesville, Texas
. She is Texas Department of Criminal Justice
offender #1157250.
. In 1985, the station became one of the original affiliates of the fledgling Fox network. It grew in value and stature over the following decade, and on October 3, 1994, a year after his first wife's death, Beard sold his share of the station for a small fortune.
On February 18, 1995, Celeste and Steven were married at the Austin Country Club.
covered the Celeste Beard case in her mass-market paperback, She Wanted it All: A True Story of Sex, Murder, and a Texas Millionaire. Also, author Suzy Spencer wrote a book, The Fortune Hunter, about the case.
The case has been covered in a one-hour show of Dominick Dunne
's investigative programme, Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
, and the crime series American Justice
aired an episode on the case, titled "For Love Or Money." The case was also profiled on the Oxygen Network's series Snapped
, which profiles women who kill. The CI network also covered the case in an hour-long show. Law & Order
had an episode, "Obsession," during season 15, taking a headline from news coverage of the case, and on the Investigation Discovery Network's series On the Case with Paula Zahn
.
Mountain View Unit
Mountain View Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison housing female offenders in Gatesville, Texas. The unit, with about of land, is located north of central Gatesville on Farm to Market Road 215. The prison is located in a 45 minute driving distance from Waco...
in Gatesville, Texas
Gatesville, Texas
Gatesville is a city in and the county seat of Coryell County in Central Texas, United States of America. The population was 15,591 at the 2000 census...
. She is Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
offender #1157250.
Background
One of the reasons cited by the prosecution for the murder was that Steven Beard, a wealthy former television executive, had grown tired of paying for Celeste's extravagant lifestyle. Steven worked in radio and advertising in Dallas in the 1950s and 1960s, starting at the bottom and climbing steadily up the business ladder. He switched to television in the 1970s, and by 1981 had found financial success as a partner and general manager of KBVO in AustinAustin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
. In 1985, the station became one of the original affiliates of the fledgling Fox network. It grew in value and stature over the following decade, and on October 3, 1994, a year after his first wife's death, Beard sold his share of the station for a small fortune.
On February 18, 1995, Celeste and Steven were married at the Austin Country Club.
Murder
Celeste ordered her lover to shoot her husband, Steven Beard, a retired Fox network television executive and self-made multi-millionaire. The event took place on October 2, 1999. Steven died in a hospital on January 21, 2000 as a result of the gunshots. Beard's accountant would later reveal that Celeste spent $321,000 during October and November 1999, followed by an additional $249,000 by December 10, and another $100,000 in the six weeks ending March 31, 2000. According to the prosecution Celeste only married Steven Beard for his money. In 2003 Celeste was sentenced. Celeste received a mandatory life sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2043, serving at least 40 years for the crime. Despite her conviction, Celeste maintains her innocence.Media
Crime author Kathryn CaseyKathryn Casey
Kathryn Casey is a true crime writer, novelist and journalist. Author Ann Rule has called Casey "one of the best in the true crime genre."-Early life and education:Born in Wisconsin, Casey settled in Texas with her family in 1980...
covered the Celeste Beard case in her mass-market paperback, She Wanted it All: A True Story of Sex, Murder, and a Texas Millionaire. Also, author Suzy Spencer wrote a book, The Fortune Hunter, about the case.
The case has been covered in a one-hour show of Dominick Dunne
Dominick Dunne
Dominick John Dunne was an American writer and investigative journalist, whose subjects frequently hinged on the ways in which high society interacts with the judicial system...
's investigative programme, Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice was an American crime TV series that examined real-life cases of crime, passion, and greed involving privileged or famous people. The episodes were shown on truTV and on Star TV in Canada as well as Zone Reality in Europe and Bio. in Australia. The...
, and the crime series American Justice
American Justice
American Justice is an American criminal justice television program on the A&E Network, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the Selena Murder of a Star, Scarsdale Diet doctor murder, the Hillside Stranglers, Matthew Shepard, or the Wells Fargo heist, with...
aired an episode on the case, titled "For Love Or Money." The case was also profiled on the Oxygen Network's series Snapped
Snapped
Snapped is an American true crime television series that airs on the Oxygen Network. Snapped debuted on August 6, 2004 and is produced in conjunction with Jupiter Entertainment.-Synopsis:...
, which profiles women who kill. The CI network also covered the case in an hour-long show. Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
had an episode, "Obsession," during season 15, taking a headline from news coverage of the case, and on the Investigation Discovery Network's series On the Case with Paula Zahn
On the Case with Paula Zahn
On the Case with Paula Zahn is a documentary and news program broadcast on Investigation Discovery and Discovery Channel since October 18, 2009....
.