Naman Shrestha
When a reputed real estate agent named Beverly Carter went missing in September 2014, the entire community came together to conduct a thorough search for her. Her loved ones’ worst nightmares came true when her remains were found buried behind a concrete company in Cabot, Arkansas. In Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Deeds,’ the focus is on the case as well as the investigation that ensued to capture the perpetrator/s responsible for the brutal murder.
Beverly Carter Was Supposed to Meet Her Husband For Dinner When She Disappeared
On December 20, 1963, Beverly Lownes entered the world and the lives of John Brian and Gladys Marlene Lownes on McClellan Air Force Base in Anniston, Alabama. Growing up in a loving and supportive household, he was accompanied by her two sisters, Kathy Siegler and Tobbie Lownes. Given her compassionate and energetic personality, Beverly had the ability to light up even the dullest of rooms with her mere presence. After completing her education, she went on to become a real estate agent. In her free time, she loved spending time with her family and friends.
Besides her loved ones, Beverly also prioritized God. As for her hobbies, she was an adventurous soul with an affinity for exploring new places. Around 1979, she tied the knot with Carl Carter Sr., with whom she welcomed three sons — Christopher Brian Carter, Carl Carter Jr., and Chad Carter. The couple suffered a huge loss when Christopher passed away in 2003. Fast forward to more than a decade, on September 25, 2014, 50-year-old Beverly went about her business just like any other day until fate intervened. Working at Crye-Leike Real Estate, she had recently won $50 in a competition and was looking forward to having dinner with her husband later that evening.
Before she signed off for work that day, she went to 14202 Old River Drive in Scott, Arkansas, to show it to a married couple who were prospective clients interested in moving to the area. When Carl couldn’t get in touch with her for several hours after her meeting at the property, he went to the location himself and looked for her. He found her vehicle, inside which was her purse, parked in the property’s driveway, with the house’s door wide open. As the entire community participated in the search for the missing realtor, the authorities discovered her remains buried in a shallow grave behind the Argos Concrete Co. in Cabot, Arkansas. The cause of her death was deemed to be suffocation. The detectives wasted no time in launching a homicide investigation.
Beverly Carter’s Killer Planned to Hold Her For Ransom
Since Beverly Carter went missing right after her meeting with the couple at the Scott property, the authorities suspected her prospective clients of being involved in the murder. They quickly identified the couple as Arron M. Lewis and his wife, Crystal Lowery. What made the former more suspicious in the eyes of law enforcement was the fact that he worked at the concrete company where Beverly’s remains were found buried. Thus, he was soon taken into custody and charged with capital murder, robbery, and kidnapping. Soon after his arrest, Arron claimed that he targeted the realtor “because she was just a woman that worked alone — a rich broker.”
Later, the investigators learned that his wife, Crystal, was also involved in the crime and charged her with capital murder and kidnapping charges. According to reports, Arron and Crystal orchestrated the fake house showing in order to kidnap her for ransom. As per Crystal, the plan was to keep her hostage in an abandoned office building at the concrete company while they demanded money from her husband. However, when the plan went awry, Arron reportedly improvised and took her to his Jacksonville house, where she was held hostage. Beverly was forced by the couple to make a 12-second video asking her husband to cooperate.
However, with the authorities closing in on them, they decided to scrap the ransom plan and kill her, as she had already seen Arron’s face. So, they suffocated her to death and buried her remains behind the concrete company. Following the development of the case, Beverly Carter’s family released a statement, stating, “We are devastated at the loss of our precious Beverly. There is now a hole in our hearts that will never be filled. Mr. Lewis robbed us of an amazing wife, loving mother, and grandmother. Her grandkids will never get to know the magnitude of her greatness.”
Arron Lewis is Serving His Sentence at an Arizona Prison Facility Today
While Crystal Lowery pleaded guilty to the reduced charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping in exchange for testifying against her husband in court, Arron pleaded not guilty. In January 2016, he stood trial for the killing of Beverly Carter. His defense claimed that the real estate agent passed away during a consensual sex act, which was a lie, as per the prosecutors. They told the jury that she had gone with Arron and Crystal, well aware that it was a sexual hook-up. The defendant also took the stand and claimed that Beverly wanted to meet with them for sex. The defense also painted the realtor as someone who was having a rough time and had been leading a secret life.
However, the prosecution argued with plenty of incriminating evidence against the defendant and also called his wife, Crystal, to testify against him. Thus, the jury deliberated for less than an hour or so and reached a verdict. On January 15, 2016, Arron Lewis was convicted of capital murder and kidnapping in connection with Beverly’s killing. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the capital murder charge and life in prison for the kidnapping charge, with both charges to be served consecutively. Currently, the 44-year-old killer is incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Tucson in Tucson, Arizona.
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