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In 2014, Beverly Carter, a 50-year-old real estate agent from Arkansas, went missing after taking a potential buyer to see a house. Sadly, her story ended in a terrible way when her body was found in a shallow grave near an Argos concrete plant. This showed how dangerous being a real estate agent could be, especially when you're a woman working by herself.
The guy who did it, Arron Lewis, confessed to planning the whole thing. He and his wife at the time, Crystal Lowery, had the idea to kidnap Beverly because they thought she had a lot of money due to her job. Arron said he didn't kill Beverly Carter, but the evidence pointed in another direction.
This case shook things up and made everyone, especially real estate agents, think about safety a lot more. Here are five facts of it that are worth looking into.
Facts about Beverly Carter's disappearance and death
1) A calculated targeting of a vulnerable victim
During his arrest, Arron Lewis confessed that he targeted Beverly Carter because she was:
"A woman that worked alone."
Captain Simon Haynes from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office shared that Lewis took advantage of the risky situation that comes with being a real estate agent like Carter, who often had to meet with clients in empty houses.
These two individuals, Lewis and Lowery, came up with a clever plan and even created false names for themselves, like "Steve and Crystal Adams." Lowery admitted in court that Lewis would look around in fancy neighborhoods to find the perfect target, and they ended up choosing Beverly Carter.
2) Gruesome discovery at the Argos concrete plant
They found Carter in a shallow hole at the Argos cement place, about 20 miles from where she last saw Lewis. The local cops from Pulaski County put in a long night's work to get her out of there. Then, Dr. Charles Kokes, the top doctor in charge of looking at folks who've passed away, took the stand. He said she was smothered, with duct tape over her mouth and nose.
Lewis's lawyer tried to argue it just happened during something they agreed to in bed, but Dr. Kokes wasn't having it. He was sure that wasn't the case at all. This info helped seal the deal against Lewis, and he was found guilty.
3) Crystal Lowery’s testimony reveals the scheme
Crystal Lowery, who was separated from Lewis at the time, was a key player in uncovering all the details of what went down with the crime. She took the stand and admitted that she had helped with the kidnapping scheme, even going so far as to buy some of the things they needed, like topsoil and a shovel.
It was chilling to hear that she had been the one to hold the light while Lewis was burying Beverly Carter’s body. Her testimony showed that this was about money. She said that Lewis had convinced her that real estate agents were sitting on piles of cash, and that's why he thought they could get a $100,000 ransom.
But even though she was in on it, Lowery tried to make it seem like she wasn’t fully aware of everything her husband had planned. She insisted she only had a small part to play in the Beverly Carter case.
4) Emotional testimony from Carter’s family
Carl, Beverly Carter's husband for 35 years, broke down in tears as he talked about her during Lewis' court case. He talked about their life together, and even though they had their fair share of rough patches, he always came back to how much they loved each other and the bond their family had.
When asked about the night she disappeared, Carl spoke with so much pain,
“The night she went missing, I planned on her coming home with dinner.”
It showed how her being gone left a hole in their lives that nothing else could fill. The way their family stuck together through this whole mess, and kept their faith, was light in the darkness of what had happened.
5) Sentencing and the aftermath
In January 2016, Arron Lewis was found guilty of capital murder and kidnapping of Beverly Carter, and the judge handed down two life sentences without any chance of parole. Crystal Lowery, who agreed to a plea deal, got 30 years behind bars for her part in this horrific crime.
When news of Beverly Carter's death spread through the real estate community, it hit everyone hard. Realtors started worrying about meeting new clients by themselves. In response, companies began putting stricter safety measures in place to keep everyone safe.
Brenda Rhoads, who worked with Beverly Carter, talked about how important it is to stay secure, saying,
“That’s our job, but we can’t ignore the risks.”
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Dateline: The Client goes into the events that led up to Beverly Carter's death, watch it on NBC or online through Peacock.
More Dateline cases: Courtney Coco's death | The murder of Linda Watson
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