Jade's Story
- Gina Westfall
- Apr 10
- 3 min read
Jade Marie Beasley was born August 3rd, 2009, to Michael Beasley and Jessica Bradley. Although their marriage did not work out, the two worked very hard to co-parent their baby girl with a 50/50, one week at each parent's house approach. This approach seemed to meet Jade's needs the best. After all, she was the most important part of both of their lives.
After a while, both Jessica and Michael found love with others and Jade became part of an extended family that included Michael's girlfriend, Julia Bevely, referred to as Julie, and her son.
After a seven-year relationship, Julie and Michael had two other daughters together and Jessica and Jessica a daughter of her own as well. Despite their growing families, Jade remained the center of Michael and Jessica's world. A fact that likely irritated Julie. Julie was pregnant again, although it was not yet known to the public in December of 2020. It is debated if she herself knew yet.
On December 5th, 2020, Jessica prepared to pick her daughter up from Michael's house. Michael was at work, but Jade was there with Julie. The little girls and Julie's son were not there as Julie was working from home that day. When she arrived, she found every mother's worst nightmare. She arrived at a scene ambulances and police cars. It's best described in her own words, so I suggest listening to the podcast episode.
In what must have been an agonizing amount of time, Jessica stood outside the home without being told what was going on while knowing her child was inside and something terrible had happened. Julie was sitting on the porch rocking with an expressionless look on her face before being taken away in a squad car. Finally, Jade's lifeless body was removed on a stretcher from the home. Officers finally told Jessican and Michael, who was now also at the scene, that their baby girl was gone.
Within a few days, Julia Bevely was arrested and charged with Jade's murder. Jessica recalled an odd conversation with her daughter six months before the murder prompted by a news story in which she told her daughter to bite and scratch if she were ever to be attacked. Jade listened. Forensic evidence including DNA evidence under Jade's nails and bite marks on Julia aligned with Jade's DNA, although the odontology evidence was not allowed at trial.
Julie had defense wounds consistent with being the attacker. Her footprints were found in the bloody mess that suggested one hell of a fight in the house on Songbird Road in Marion. Jade fought for her life as her father's girlfriend stabbed her over and over, causing 107 wounds to the eleven-year-olds body. Because this is Jade's story, I will not post Julie's picture here. There are links below to IDOC page if you want to see what she looks like as well as news stories. The forensic evidence was clear.
Julie claims a man in all black was present in the home when she left briefly to go Christmas shopping, although she returned without buying anything. She stated she left her debit card at home. The stab wound trajectory didn't match with a taller person, someone short like Julie. Subjects that the defense suggested could be responsible were ruled out. The evidence all pointed at Julie. The jury agreed and found her guilty of first-degree murder. She was sentenced and is serving 55 years in prison.
Below are links to media coverage, interviews available that Jessica discussed in her interview, and IDOC information on Julia Bevely. Please listen to the interview with Jessica Bradley, Jade's mother, for the complete story.
*** I do not pretend to be unbiased in this story***