01x04 - What the Sisters Saw - Part 2

[bunniefuu]

[♪♪]

[ Thunder crashes ]

Narrator:
When a crime has been committed...

- [ Siren wails ]
- ...there are two sides to the story...

two versions of the truth.

And sometimes...

it takes putting them
side by side...

to get to the whole story.

This is not only
a true crime story...

[ Police radio chatter ]

...but the ride
that led to it all...

[ Siren wails ]

...told directly
from the opposing sides

going head-to-head.

But where does the truth lie,
and where do the lies begin?

The more they say,

the more the cracks
in the story are revealed.

Tonight,
the unbelievable conclusion

to one of the most infamous
m*rder cases,

surrounding Celeste Beard
and her twin daughters...

A family facing tragedy
from the beginning

between abuse,
ugly custody battles,

and the twins' father
committing suicide.

When he k*lled himself, that was
kind of a relief for me.

Narrator: But when Celeste's marriage
to a millionaire twice her age

finally reunites the trio,

the twins turn against their mom
as suspicions begin to fly.

She has to be involved.

Narrator: From outlandish
spending to poisoning.

If she's putting those
sleeping pills in his food,

what is she gonna do to me
if I said something?

Narrator: From cheating
to a midnight sh**ting.

[ g*nsh*t ]

Is Celeste a master manipulator
orchestrating the chaos,

or is she a dedicated mother

fighting for the security
of her children?

Because if Celeste
gets convicted,

the twins get the money.

Narrator: The expl*sive finale
will reveal all

as this two-sided story reaches
one shattering conclusion.

A millionaire dead,
a violent outburst,

both sides fear the worst...

She says, "I hired somebody
to k*ll Tracey."

They were gonna accuse me
of anything.

Narrator:
...and neither holds back...

We're not coming home from this.

Narrator:
...what is true and what is not.

[ Voice breaking ]
I am not guilty of this crime.

Narrator: Have a seat.

It's up to you to decide...

who do you believe?

[font color=#FF00FF]*WHO DO YOU BELIEVE?*[/font]
[font color=#00FF00]Season 01 Episode 04[/font]

Episode Title: [font color=#FFc30f]"What the sisters saw? Part 2"[/font]
Aired on: [font color="#00ffff"]May 31, 2022.[/font]

[ Ringing ]

October 2, 1999...
Celeste Beard's husband, Steven,

- is shot in his own bed.
- [ g*nsh*t ]

Who pulled the trigger and why?

Celeste has already alienated
her 18-year-old twin daughters

because of her relationship
with Tracey Tarlton...

A fellow patient she'd met
in a psychiatric hospital.

Now, according
to daughter Kristina,

as police swarm the scene,

Celeste warns her not to mention
a certain name.

[ Sirens wailing ]

So, after the sh**ting
on October 2nd of '99,

as soon as we walked
out of the house,

Celeste whispers to me,

"If the police ask you
who might have done this,

don't mention Tracey's name."

And she told me to
"tell your sister,"

tell her boyfriend,
tell my boyfriend.

I don't remember how long

I'd been driving back
into Austin to the hospital,

but Kristina's boyfriend called.

Justin said...

"Celeste said don't mention
Tracey's name."

[♪♪]

Celeste: The sheriff took
Kristina and I to the hospital.

I sat up in the front seat
with her,

and Kristina sat in the back,
so there was no way

I could have communicated
anything to Kristina.

I've had some
pretty bad nights,

but that one was pretty bad
just by the fact

that Celeste requested us
not to say Tracey's name.

Why would Celeste say,
"Don't mention Tracey's name"?

My boyfriend and I were like,
"She has to be involved."

I mean, they're never gonna
tell the truth

because they've gotten love
and affection for lying.

I mean, why would
they tell the truth?

Jennifer:
So, I get to the hospital.

I was being questioned
by the detectives,

then they asked
if I knew of anyone

that wanted to do this
to Steve.

And I said that,
you know, Tracey.

I agreed not to mention
Tracey's name

because I was afraid
to upset our mom.

Narrator: Was Celeste
being protective of a friend,

or did she know something
about the sh**ting?

Tracey loved my mom, and
she really didn't like Steve.

But now that she said that,

I was thinking maybe
she's protecting Tracey

because she thought
it was Tracey.

All I cared about
was if Steven lived.

I didn't do anything except
stay at that hospital.

And, I mean, it was horrible.

Yeah, no, I said it
exactly because I was told

not to say Tracey's name.

So at that moment,
I was pretty, um...

I was pretty scared myself
at that point in time,

you know,
about Celeste finding out.

I was conflicted
because she's my mom,

but I just wanted to make sure
that Steve got justice.

Narrator:
The police wasted no time

hauling Tracey Tarlton in
for questioning.

And to everyone's surprise,
Tracey confessed.

I remember finding out
that Tracey was the sh**ter

because they arrested her
and it was in the newspaper.

And Tracey was Celeste's friend,

so I was scared for the fact
that, you know,

Celeste has access to him
in the hospital.

It was a "Oh, crap."

And then I went numb,
and then I went...

"Then that meant Celeste
was involved."

I was shocked.

Now, you must understand

that my friend's bringing
the newspaper to me at bridge.

Nobody called me.

I just couldn't believe it.

[♪♪]

[ Exhales shakily ]

I felt like
this is all my fault

because I never should have

befriended anybody
at that mental hospital

and never brought them
into my life.

So Tracey said
that Steven abused Celeste.

Celeste said to Tracey,

"I cannot live any longer
with this a*usive husband,"

and Tracey decides
to k*ll Steve.

[ g*nsh*t ]

[♪♪]

But Steve wasn't a*usive.

It was the way
that Celeste manipulated

yet another person into
doing what she wanted.

Kristina: Tracey did not
implicate Celeste in any way

as being involved,

and I could definitely relate to
Tracey, you know,

going along with this plan

because she thought she was
saving the woman she loved.

She thought she was saving her
from death.

I felt like I did the same thing
to my dad

when Celeste asked me to lie

and say that he hit me
when in fact he didn't.

And I did do these things.

But she would say...

"If you tell the police
he hit you,

you'll get to stay with me."

So I did.

Jennifer: And the police found
all these letters

that my sister had wrote saying
that our dad abused us.

I couldn't understand
why she would lie about that.

My dad never fought for me
again.

I just didn't know what she
would do if I didn't do it.

Well, now, she's obviously
not telling the truth.

She mailed
those letters to me,

and I had already contacted
an attorney,

and he told me to pick her up
like I was supposed to

and take her
to the police station.

I definitely feel like
I had been in Tracey's shoes

a million times.

Narrator: Kristina says she couldn't help
but feel sympathy for Tracey.

And although the twins
were more than wary

of their mother at this point,

they hid their feelings
in order to be by Steven's side

as he fought for his life.

[ Monitor beeping ]

Celeste: When Steven and I
talked about it,

he told me he knew I didn't
have anything to do with it,

and he told me
there's nothing to forgive.

He got out of the ICU
after Christmas in January.

Steve was able to get
checked out of the hospital

and come home.

Narrator: Steve had been looked
after by the best doctors,

but now he'd be left in the care
of his wife, Celeste.

Celeste: So I took him home.

He didn't want
to have a private nurse.

I told him I would bring him
back every day for wound care.

There was nothing
I wouldn't do to help him.

Once we got back home,
it seemed like she was on,

like...

kind of good-ish behavior.

She's not overly manic.

Celeste:
He couldn't even walk.

I felt terrible for him.

But he did not want to stay
in the hospital.

I couldn't get him
in the shower.

He was in so much pain.

And I tell him, "Honey,
I can't take care of you.

It's too much.
You're too sick."

She was getting a little brazen
with a few things.

Like, he had a colostomy bag
that he had to get changed,

like wound dressing
in the hospital.

So the nurses taught Celeste

how to change his wound
dressing at home.

But she got a cut on her finger
and it got puss-y.

Well, she was, like, rubbing her
infected finger, like,

on his open wound dressing
and, like, packing it back on.

'Cause I saw her do it.

I saw her, like, kind of be,
like... not careful.

Like, she wasn't being careful,

and I didn't know
what that meant.

It's not like I could just say,
"Hey, why are you doing that?"

Right?
I can't confront her and say,

"Why are you getting
a little sloppy

with your...
big infected finger?"

I didn't know that was, like,
maybe introducing infection.

Like, I didn't know
what any of that meant,

but she was doing weird...
Weird things like that.

He only came home
for, like, a day, maybe two.

I did not put it together

that maybe
he might be unsafe at home.

Narrator: Steven's condition
declined rapidly.

On January 19, 2000, he was
rushed back to the hospital.

He had only been at home in
Celeste's care for a single day.

Three days later, he was dead
of a blood infection.

Narrator:
Celeste Beard's marriage

ended on January 22, 2000,

when her husband, Steven Beard,
died of a blood infection.

Celeste's daughters say she
caused his death intentionally.

Celeste swears
her intentions were pure,

but was she finishing the job

- that her friend Tracey had started...
- [ g*nsh*t ]

...or could Jennifer and
Kristina have their own motives

for making their mother
appear guilty?

Don't decide just yet.

[♪♪]

When Steven died...
I was broken.

I loved him,
and he was my everything.

Turns out that when he was
in the hospital,

they discovered that he had
an infection in his blood.

Kristina: We loved Steve.

He never wanted us
to worry about anything, right?

He just wanted us to be...

fed and loved
and enjoy our lives.

Even when he was dying.

That's [sighs] what's so sad.

He was a nice guy.

Steven was the nicest step dad
that we have ever had.

And I was very grateful that...

you know, coming from Washington
state, losing my father...

he filled that role for me
that...

that I'll never forget,
you know?

[♪♪]

Narrator: When Steven died,
the charge against Tracey

was upgraded to capital m*rder.

After Steve passed,
we had to go to the funeral home

to pick out a casket for him.

A lot of crying's going on.

You just lost a loved one.

And while we were there,

she purchased two pink caskets
for Jen and I,

and she's like, "I'm gonna get
these for you guys."

The confusing part to me
was Celeste suggesting

that 18-year-olds
needed to pick out a casket.

And in the back of my mind,
I thought,

"Am I going in this casket
soon?"

Celeste: The pink caskets
is totally untrue.

They had changed
the regulations,

and Steven had ordered

wooden caskets
for everybody for the mausoleum.

And the director said,
"Celeste, while we're here,

Steven got these caskets
for the twins and you,"

and I was not interested
in anything.

And he said, "How about these?"
And I said, "That's fine."

They were pink. That was it.

It wasn't my decision

like they're
making it out to be.

Narrator: Celeste insists
she was a widow in mourning.

Kristina and Jen paint the
picture of a black widow spider

with a devious plan.

But with a large inheritance
on the line,

suspicions between
mother and daughters

took on much greater stakes.

On the day that
Steve's funeral happened,

the funeral home
set up a limousine

to pick up my sister, my mom
and go to the service together.

I remember
being in the limousine,

just being really
uncomfortable and awkward.

We're all crying,
and Celeste is just laughing.

You know, like,
"Oh, I'm just gonna go out

and have fun tonight"
kind of vibe after the funeral.

Celeste: Nobody was laughing
and joking like the girls said.

I was exhausted.
I wasn't getting any sleep.

I was, you know, in a...
Not in a good frame of mind.

And on the limo ride
to the funeral home,

all Jennifer and Kristina
wanted to know

was how much money
they were getting,

how much money
they were getting.

They were just obsessing
about the amount of money

that they were getting.

I knew that everything
was going in a trust

and the trust went to me
in a marital trust,

and they had to wait
until something happened to me.

Once I died,

became incapacitated
by mental illness,

or was convicted
of a crime like this,

then they would get everything.

But when they were
at the reading of the will,

they thought that they were
getting an inheritance

immediately upon his death.

I never implied that.
I never said that to them.

I just told them
I wanted them to inherit

with the other
three adult children,

and they were furious.

That's what started
the whole issue

with them turning on me.

[♪♪]

Celeste loves the twins,
even today.

I really don't trust them.

They wanted to prove

that she should be incarcerated
in a mental hospital

because they felt
they were more responsible

to take over the inheritance
than Celeste.

Narrator: According to Celeste,
her daughters turned

against her
after Steven's death,

leaving her even more isolated.

And then she becomes the target

of one of the most lethal
weapons of all... gossip.

There was a hair salon down
the street from our house,

and word got back to Celeste

that they were gossiping
about the fact

that maybe Celeste had
involvement in the sh**ting.

Celeste requested a meeting
with one of the hair stylists

at their shopping center.

[♪♪]

It's really hard to have
a lot of people

saying a lot of things about you
that aren't true.

It doesn't help your depression,
that's for sure.

You kind of have like
these crazy eyes, right?

Just like..."I'm gonna make them
pay for this."

I mean, at this point,
Celeste was not predictable.

I couldn't even begin
to, like, think

about what was going on
in her mind.

D-Definitely escalating.

She then said,

"Hey, why don't we
all k*ll ourselves?"

But she said it all creepy.

She was really kind of like

mentally
not in a good frame of mind.

I think it was referring to like
the crazy talk of the gossip.

Like, she wanted us
to go down with her.

We were just like,
"Where's this going?"

And she starts having this
conversation with this woman,

like, "Why are you
badmouthing me around town?"

Like, "Why are you saying
these things?

I didn't m*rder my husband."

And then it kind of escalated
really quickly,

and she jumps up,

and she pulls this knife
out of her purse.

[♪♪]

Narrator:
According to her twin daughters,

Jennifer and Kristina,
Celeste Beard

had become unhinged by rumors
about her possible involvement

in her husband,
Steven's, m*rder.

When she confronted the gossip
at a hair salon,

they say she went over the edge.

Celeste was just saying
how we're gonna have a talk.

And she starts having this
conversation with this woman,

Like, "Why are you badmouthing
me around town?

I didn't m*rder my husband."
Those kinds of things.

And then I guess it kind of
escalated really quickly,

and she jumps up.

And all of a sudden,
she pulls out a knife.

She's holding it like this,
and I...

She goes to, like,
kind of lunge,

and she's about to, like,
I think, go after this woman.

But instead, she just stabs
herself in the leg.

[♪♪]

Blood starts gushing
everywhere.

I was just like,
"What is happening?"

Ambulance come.
They rush her to the hospital.

Celeste: At that time,
I was just distraught.

The girls were so nasty to me.

I was sad.
I mean, Steven died.

My best friend
was going to prison.

She missed the artery
in your leg by,

like, a hair, they said.

She almost bled out.

Her depression.

She has no way of controlling it
without medication.

Narrator: Celeste was rushed
into emergency surgery.

She claims her daughters
used the opportunity

to have her committed yet again.

The twins say otherwise.

Jennifer: After the surgery,
I think it was her lawyer

that suggested that she go back
into the mental hospital.

I kind of was in shock.

I wanted to help her,
and I felt bad for her.

Celeste: I had like
nine different prescriptions

for anti-depressants
and mood stabilizers.

They gave me so many damn pills
I couldn't even see straight.

Narrator: Was Celeste's continued
confinement meant to help,

or was it revenge?

After years of resentment,

were the twins exposing
their own vindictive side,

kicking their mother
when she was so obviously down?

Celeste was calling me and would
go from normal to screaming,

back to normal.

Celeste: I was hysterical
because I wanted out of there

and they said
they wouldn't come get me.

Nancy: The twins,
they purposely did things

that would upset Celeste

because she had depression
so bad.

Kristina:
Right around this time,

her lawyer really wanted me
to get power of attorney

because he's saying

that "We need to get
your mother under control."

I started paying
all these bills,

and Celeste would call me from
the hospital and she'd be like,

"You need to
get me more money."

And I would say,
"What's this money for?

Where is it going?"

And this was several occasions,
like four, five times

that she had me get money,

but she wouldn't say
what it was for.

And I'm like,
"Where is this going?"

Like... I guess I started turning
into Steve,

like, asking her questions.

And she was just like,
"Just do it. Just do it.

It doesn't matter.
Just do it."

Narrator: The twins said
their mother was in no condition

to leave the mental hospital.

Did they want to keep her there

so they could take control
of her finances?

Or did they fear that their
mother was not just troubled,

but a monster coming for them
next?

I mean, you can say
a lot of things,

an awful lot of things,

but if you don't have
any kind of proof of it...

[ Scoffs ]

Kristina... she was released
from power of attorney,

and she kept writing checks...
$60,000 worth.

There are people
in prison at Gatesville

that... with less than
$60,000 of checks

written against
somebody else's account.

And Kristina did it.

[♪♪]

[♪♪]

At one point, she told me,
"Stop asking questions."

And she's yelling
and screaming at me

over the phone, that I thought,
"Hey, you know what?

I'm gonna start
recording her conversations

'cause I want to play them
back to her."

And she'll then hear, like,
from my perspective,

what I'm hearing and think,
"Oh, that's awful.

I can't believe I do that,"
right?

Narrator: Kristina
hoped her secret recordings

would show that her mother
was unbalanced and a*usive,

but not even she expected

that Celeste would reveal
something far more damaging.

Narrator: Celeste was in
a psychiatric hospital

and wanted out,

but the girls were certain she
was right where she should be.

Was this recording proof
the girls were right?

Or was it a scheme
to keep her locked away?

She says, "I hired somebody
to k*ll Tracey."

I froze,

and I hang up the phone
and I don't answer it again.

It made it all real,

and it made it all unsafe.

And so I had
to cut myself from her.

I was having dinner
with my boyfriend at the time

and my phone was blowing up
talking to Celeste...

"Come and get me.
Your sister won't get me."

Narrator: Jennifer says
her mother wore her down.

She finally agreed
to pick Celeste up

at the hospital in Dallas.

She didn't know that Kristina
was trying to reach her

to tell her Celeste
was out to k*ll Tracey.

I found out my sister
was already on her way to Dallas

to go pick up Celeste.

At that point, I don't even
think I 100% tell her the story.

That wasn't what's
going through my mind.

What was going through my mind
is I have six hours

to go get whatever stuff
I want from my room

before Celeste got back
and bounce.

Narrator: But why would Celeste
want to k*ll Tracey?

Was it a real threat
or the confused ravings

of someone recovering
from psychosis?

Jennifer: So we get to
the mental hospital.

Celeste tells us to run.

She was not allowed to be
out of the mental hospital.

We needed to get in the car
and take off back to Austin.

And I had no idea I was breaking
her out of the mental hospital.

[ Sighs ] I had so much anxiety
about the whole thing.

Celeste: By the time
they got there, I was furious.

Here I was panicking that I was
gonna be stuck in this place.

And then Kristina's going,

"No, I'm not gonna
come get you."

I was pissed. So I called
and I cussed her out.

I was so mad, you know,
and I'm sorry that I did that,

but I was just... I was scared.

She was screaming at Kristina
on the voicemail

about how she'd pay 100,000
different ways.

And I was just like,
"See you later,"

and I went back
to my boyfriend's apartment.

Narrator: Kristina
finally reached Jennifer

and shared the shocking details
of their mother's phone calls.

Celeste denied saying anything

about hiring someone
to k*ll Tracey,

but Kristina had it on tape.

After Kristina telling me

that Celeste had hired somebody
to k*ll Tracey,

the next day, we went and spoke
with the district attorney.

Like, we're not
coming home from this.

Narrator: Once again,
we find two stories at odds.

Was this another example
of Celeste...

The malicious,
masterful manipulator...

Or are these two daughters
taking advantage

of Celeste's diminished
mental state to push her aside

and have the Beard family
fortune all for themselves?

Celeste: The twins, they were
gonna accuse me of anything.

The whole tape is edited,
and it's not the original tape.

I never told anybody anything
like they tried to imply.

They were getting rid of me.

Narrator: Now Celeste was out of
the hospital and on the loose,

and the twins feared
they were in real danger.

After we met
with the district attorney,

I cleared out my bank account
for Kristina and I

to go on the run
and not have any trace.

We stayed in motels.

Everything we did,
we did with cash.

Celeste was trying to find us.
Every day trying to find us.

All I kept replaying in my head
was we are in danger.

I mean, she just hired somebody
to k*ll Tracey.

It was definitely terrifying.

Celeste:
The kids wouldn't talk to me

when I kept calling and calling.

[ Voice breaking ] I was
thinking that they were angry

because, you know,
I yelled at Kristina.

Jen and I did not feel safe,
so we got

a family violence protective
order against Celeste.

They said that they were afraid
of me, which shocked me.

Narrator: Again,
their stories don't agree.

Celeste says her daughters
knew she was innocent.

All their moves were cynical
and calculated

to get them closer and closer
to Steven's millions.

Celeste:
I think they know that I wasn't
involved with the m*rder.

[ Sighs ]

I think that they just
wanted the money.

Why would I do any of this
for the money?

I've been through
so much.

We didn't ask her
to marry a rich guy.

We didn't ask to be
a part of any of this.

Narrator: Celeste had lost
everyone in her life,

including her daughters.

So with possible attempted
m*rder charges hanging over her,

she took a step that might raise
an eyebrow or two.

In July 2000,
less than six months

after the death
of her beloved husband,

she got married
for the fifth time.

The groom was a guy
named Cole Johnson.

The wedding announcement
made the local newspaper

for everyone to see,
including Tracey Tarlton.

This whole entire time,
Tracey was keeping her silence,

that she acted in this alone.

Now she realizes
Celeste got remarried

and had never any intentions
to be with her.

I think that led
to her thinking,

"Oh, my gosh,
did she lie about everything?"

Tracey decided to cooperate
with the district attorney.

She woke up and thought,
"Oh, well, maybe Steve wasn't

such a bad guy,
and I got trapped."

Narrator: Tracey's statement
implicating Celeste

was enough for the police
to arrest Celeste Beard

and charge her with the m*rder
of her husband, Steven.

It seems that committing m*rder
for the woman you love

didn't lead to the fairytale
ending Tracey had imagined.

[ Voice breaking ]
I am not guilty of this crime.

I did not ask Tracey
to sh**t Steven.

Narrator: Celeste Beard
was charged with m*rder

for planning the death
of her husband.

Tracey Tarlton,
who pulled the trigger,

agreed to take the stand
against her.

But was Tracey Celeste's puppet

or a jilted,
revenge-seeking lover?

The media pounced,

and the sensational case
made national news.

A millionaire's young wife
on trial for m*rder.

The questions in the case
begin with a shotgun blast.

With a fortune at stake
and a courtroom riveted,

it was time to hear the
testimony of the other woman.

[♪♪]

Tarlton: You know, she said,
"He's an old man.

He's gonna die soon,
but not soon enough,

and I'm just gonna help him
along wherever I can."

And she had a plan,

and she wanted me to sh**t him

at Toro Canyon with my shotgun.

Woman: And when did she first
bring up the subject

of sh**ting Steve Beard
with your shotgun?

On the Wednesday before...
Before October 2nd.

What did she say about exactly
how she wanted you to sh**t him?

She wanted me to sh**t him
in the stomach.

Showed me where to enter
the grounds, where to park,

and then we walked through
how to exit my car,

where I would enter the house,

how I would approach
the bedroom.

Man: Do you mind stepping down
here, please, ma'am?

Show us how you shot him.

I walked down
to the end of the bed,

I saw him, and I pulled up
and I shot him.

You shot him once.

I shot him once.

Did you have any discussions
with the defendant

about Steve Beard being
released from the hospital?

Yes.

What were the things
that she told you

that she was learning to do
in order to take care of him?

How to change the colostomy bag,
how to keep it clean,

how to keep the wound clean.

She said she spit on her hands.

She said that she didn't clean
up the tubing.

She didn't do anything,
and that once his fever spiked,

she called me before
she took him to the hospital,

said, "His fever spiked. I'm
gonna take him to the hospital."

And then he died the next day
or the next day after that.

You've got a deal,
don't you?

You know you're not gonna spend
the rest of your life in prison

as long as
you follow through

with your bargain
with the state.

No, sir, I don't know that.

I'm 45. I got 20 years.

I don't know if
that's a life sentence or not.

You know you could parole
in 10 years, don't you?

I know that
that's a possibility.

We had had
so many discussions.

Isn't there some other way?
Can't you leave?

Can't you this, can't you that?

Is it so bad?
Are you sure this is about him?

You know, and we were still
in this relationship

that she was telling me was...

Was as rich and as deep as the
one that I was feeling for her,

so I didn't know
if it wasn't real for her.

I just saw this...
This woman that I loved

in a desperate situation,
trying to find a way

to survive this man
that was so awful.

I said, "I don't want
to do this."

She said, "It's just
there's nothing left.

You know, I might as well...
I might as well

just take it right now
and sh**t myself."

And I... I said, "Fine.
Let's go. I'll do it."

I did not ask Tracey
to sh**t Steven.

Tarlton: I thought about
all the torment and terror

that I thought she'd been
experiencing all these months

I thought I knew about, and I...

I just pushed myself to do it.

And so by the time I got
to the bedroom, I couldn't stop.

[ Voice breaking ]
It's like the truth

doesn't even matter anymore.

If I never would've brought
Tracey into our lives...

then none of this
would've happened.

Narrator: At first,
jurors had a simple choice.

It was "she said, she said"...
Tracey's word against Celeste's.

But then Celeste's
twin daughters took the stand.

Jennifer: Worst thing I've ever had to do
in my life is see Celeste

staring back at me
when I had to sit on the stand

and testify to everything
that I knew she did.

Woman: Was the way that she
treated Steve Beard to his face

the same or different
from the way

that she treated him
behind his back?

Different.

And how did she treat him
to his face?

She was nice and loving.

Behind his back?

She'd flip him off
and talk bad about him.

It was a nightmare.

I mean... I just remember
that I was in my body,

but I wasn't in my body
while I was testifying.

It was just hard to sit
across the table from her.

She would say,
"Why won't he die already?"

Stuff like that.

Did it appear that she was
looking forward to that or...?

Yes.

Kristina: I felt like...

I don't want to be
in the same room with her,

and I didn't have a choice.

It's not like the D. A.
Tells you, "Oh, by the way,

you have a choice
if you want to testify or not."

I was afraid.

Oh, my gosh, how do I stay
strong enough to not waver?

I felt like if she
doesn't go to jail,

I was gonna be
living underground forever

and I wasn't gonna feel safe
until she was in jail.

I'm helping put...

my mother...
Which I hate to say that word...

But I'm helping put her in jail.

But if you look at it on paper
and you say it out loud

and you write
your whole long list

of the things that she does,

she's not a mother.

She's Typhoid Mary.

And Typhoid Mary...

destroys
everything she touches.

Did the defendant ever say
anything to you about

why she was substituting vodka
for everything?

Um...

she said something like,
"This would ruin his liver."

Did she ever
say anything to you

about whether it was alright
to tell Steve Beard

that she was giving him
Ever clear?

I was under the impression that
I was not supposed to tell him.

She would say
that he disgusted her

and then he was a, um...
a fat [bleep]

Did the defendant
ever talk to you

about her feelings
about Steve Beard?

Well, she said that she married
Steve for his money.

Did she tell you about
what would happen

if Steve Beard died?

That she would get it all.

[ Sniffles ] You know, they just
keep saying the same things

over and over,

and it's easy to say something
if you can't prove

that it's a lie, you know?

Man: Kristina and Jennifer
have changed their tune.

They've got
millions of reasons.

Because if Celeste
gets convicted,

the twins get the money.

Speaking my truth
wasn't for the money.

My goal was to feel safe
and feel like...

I could live my life again.

With her on the street,
nobody's safe.

The only evidence they have
is Tracey Tarlton,

and Tracey Tarlton
can't be believed.

She can't be believed because
she has such a stake in it.

But not only because of that,

but because she's a crazy woman!

[♪♪]

Narrator: When Celeste married
Steven Beard in 1995,

she found happiness and security
after a lifetime of troubles.

Eight years later,
she was on trial for his m*rder.

But was his death the result
of an unstable wife

orchestrating his demise,
or did her daughters

take advantage of their mother's
fragile mental state

to secure a fortune
for themselves?

What would the jury have to say,
and will you agree?

[♪♪]

Celeste's trial reached
a dramatic conclusion

more than three years after
the death of Steven Beard.

Woman: State vs.
Celeste Beard Johnson.

Verdict of the jury?

Verdict form one,
capital m*rder.

We, the jury,
find the defendant,

Celeste Beard Johnson,

guilty of the offense
of capital m*rder.

[♪♪]

Narrator: March 19, 2003,

the jury in Austin, Texas,
found Celeste Beard guilty

of plotting the sh**ting
of her husband, Steven.

She'll be eligible for parole
in 2042 when she's 79 years old.

Relief that I don't have
to worry about her anymore.

[♪♪]

[♪♪]

Narrator: The verdict came after
a six-week trial.

After court was adjourned,

Tracey Tarlton asked to meet
with Kristina and Jennifer.

The twins agreed.

I mean, that's not an easy thing
to do...

Sit in a room

with the person that actually
pulled the trigger.

She said that she felt really
guilty for k*lling our father

and that she was really sorry.

I remember that.

She thought she was agreeing
to k*ll an evil man.

She had no idea she was agreeing
to k*ll a really nice man.

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

I feel really bad for her.

I could really relate
with the fact

that she was a victim here,
too.

Narrator: The sisters say the
meeting helped toward healing

some of the emotional wounds
they endured.

It's been almost 20 years
since their mother

was sent away to prison.

Jennifer and Kristina
are now 40.

They say they've worked hard
to build healthy, stable lives

and to give their families
the love, support,

and security
they feel they never received.

Jennifer: I had to go to a lot of therapy
to get over the trial.

I have a good job,
and things are good.

[♪♪]

I have Kristina.
Like, Kristina's my strength.

We don't live close
to each other,

but any chance we can get
to go visit each other, we will.

I have two kids,
and they get to...

They get to do life
like I wish I got to.

[♪♪]

Narrator: To this day,
Celeste claims she's innocent.

Her twin daughters
remain uninterested

in hearing
her plea for forgiveness.

Celeste:
I am serving two life sentences.

They are concurrent,

and I am eligible
for parole in 2042.

I would love to reconcile
with my daughters.

I mean... And my mother is 85.

[ Voice breaking ] She needs me.

She's alone.

I just want Celeste
to be returned home

and forget her.

Leave her alone.
That's enough.

It's been 20 years since
I've talked to my mother,

and I do not plan on
talking to her.

There's no way I'm ever gonna
forgive Celeste

for the things that she's done.

The only thing that I want
to hear from my mother

is that she's guilty
of murdering my step dad.

I think it would definitely
help me find closure

if Celeste admitted guilt.

I think I can actually...

[ Exhales deeply ]

[♪♪]

That's not gonna happen.

I don't...

[ Sighs ]

Regardless of what
anybody thinks,

I don't deserve to be in here
for the rest of my life.

And certainly I would have been

a good grandmother
to my kids' children.

And I just want
to know where is forgiveness?

Because they know
I was a good mother to them

and everything I did revolved
around my love for them.

I'm just sorry for whatever
it is that they think I've done.

I'm... I'm sorry.
[ Sniffles ]

[♪♪]

Narrator: Did the twins get the happily
ever after they always wanted?

Was this a crime of greed?

Greed from both sides
that got out of hand?

A husband shot dead.

A mother in prison.

Who really won...

and who do you believe?

[♪♪]

[♪♪]

[♪♪]

[♪♪]