Robert Bever, left, and Michael Bever, right.
A little more than a day following the brutal slayings of five Broken Arrow residents, police there say the two suspects are cooperating with detectives, but a motive for the killing has not yet been discovered.
Broken Arrow police believe 18-year-old Robert Bever and his as yet unidentified 16-year-old brother killed five members of their family during a gruesome knife and hatchet attack late Wednesday.
The state medical examiner’s office identified the victims Thursday as 52-year-old David Bever, 41-year-old April Bever, 12-year-old Daniel Bever, 7-year-old Christopher Bever and 5-year-old Victoria Bever.
Two siblings survived: a 13-year-old girl who was attacked, but survived, and a 2-year-old girl who was unharmed.
Police said on Friday there’s no reason to believe the 2-year-old was not targeted by the brothers, but perhaps the attack planned for her was interrupted by the 911 call that brought officers to the family’s home.
The 13-year-old girl had surgery Thursday and is expected to survive. According to a police report released on Friday, she identified her brothers as the attackers.
Text from the booking sheet for Robert Bever, accused of killing five family members and severely injuring another.
Originally, BAPD Public Information Officer Cpl. Leon Calhoun said investigators believed that 911 call was made by the 13-year-old surviving victim. However, on Friday he said that police now believe it was made by either Daniel or Christopher.
“It appears he was on the phone saying, ‘He attacked us,’” Calhoun said. “Because of his age, the voice on the other end of the phone call was very soft, so it was believed it was the girl calling.
“The call is pretty disturbing, not that you can really hear what’s going on in the background, but just that you know what’s happening as that boy is making the call.”
Calhoun said whoever made the phone call to police was a hero, who likely saved the lives of the two sisters.
A post on the Broken Arrow Police Department Facebook page.
Information in the case has been slow to trickle out. Residents in the family’s upscale neighborhood said they had little to no interaction with the family. The children were rarely outside of the home and were not allowed to play with other kids, residents said.
Despite their apparent reclusive nature, members of the family had an active life on social media. April Bever had thousands of followers on her Pinterest page, as did the family’s 13-year-old daughter who often posted about plans and dreams for her future.
Robert Bever had a Facebook account and a Pinterest page where he posted Internet memes and pictures of musicians he liked.
Calhoun said he didn’t know what the brothers had said to homicide detectives, but that the teenagers were cooperating with police. He said the two brothers would likely be transferred to Tulsa Jail Friday afternoon or evening.
“I actually knew the kids,” Calhoun said of the two brothers. “I’d dealt with them before, not criminal stuff, but just I’d met them and talked to them. They’re gonna have a rude awakening when they get to jail.”
Calhoun said police still have a lot of work to do on the case but detectives believe it will be forwarded to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s office next week.
