Steven was a former executive at Fox Broadcasting and a co-founder of KEYE-TV in Austin. The millionaire had recently lost his wife of 45 years to cancer.

Celeste had been married three times and had two twin daughters with her first husband when she was just 17. For Celeste, Steven "represented what she was looking for": stability, wealth, and someone who could take care of her.

Despite a 38-year age gap, the two married. After their wedding, Steven adopted Celeste's two daughters.

However, Steven's family and friends doubted whether it was true love or if Celeste was merely a gold digger. "They had nothing in common, except his money," a neighbor of the couple said.

Celeste (right) and Steven Beard. Photo: ABC

A strange love triangle

Celeste embraced her new life of luxury with lavish vacations, extravagant shopping sprees, and easily spent the couple's 35,000 USD monthly budget. Cracks quickly appeared in the relationship.

Just a few months into their marriage, Steven discovered Celeste had stolen jewelry and silver from his late wife's safe. This betrayal, coupled with Celeste's wasteful spending, prompted Steven to file for divorce. Although the couple later reconciled and Steven withdrew the petition, conflicts persisted.

Celeste suffered from depression and once brandished a gun in front of her family, according to her two daughters. In 1999, she was admitted to St. Davids Mental Health Care Center in Austin to manage her symptoms. There, Celeste met Tracey Tarlton, a openly lesbian bookstore manager.

The two women quickly became close. According to Tracey, Celeste confided in her, sharing everything about Steven and hinting at wanting a different life. They began spending a lot of time together, leading to questions about the nature of their relationship.

They continued to meet after Celeste was discharged. During a barbecue, Steven reportedly saw Tracey and his wife kissing and ordered Tracey to leave immediately. Celeste later claimed Tracey had tried to kiss her but was unsuccessful.

Celeste Beard in a close photo with Tracey Tarlton. Photo: ABC

The fatal shot

Celeste and Steven's marriage had its ups and downs, marked by arguments and reconciliations. They had planned a long trip to Europe, but on the morning before their scheduled departure, 2/10/1999, Steven was shot while sleeping alone in his room.

He remained conscious enough to call 911 and told the dispatcher: "My guts are coming out!"

Steven survived the emergency surgery. He underwent multiple surgeries and was briefly discharged in 1/2000. However, on 22/1, nearly four months after the incident, Steven died from complications related to the gunshot wound.

"I was almost devastated because I didn't anticipate it. My whole world fell apart," Celeste said about her husband's death, despite allegedly complaining about missing the vacation on the morning of the shooting.

Meanwhile, the investigation led police to a suspect.

Through conversations with Celeste's daughters, investigators learned about Celeste's relationship with Tracey. They discovered Tracey owned a shotgun that matched the shell casing left by the attacker at the scene.

Tracey was initially charged with attempted murder; the charge was later elevated to murder. However, even though investigators suspected Celeste, Tracey did not say anything to implicate her friend.

According to her testimony, early on 2/10/1999, Tracey appeared at the Beard's home. While Celeste was sleeping in another room, Tracey snuck into Steven's bedroom, shot him in the abdomen, and then fled.

A change in testimony

Celeste remarried just five months after her husband's death, making Tracey feel betrayed. Since her arrest, she had consistently maintained that she had shot Steven herself, but now she told prosecutors a completely new story. In exchange for a plea agreement, she agreed to testify that Celeste had planned the murder.

"I felt like I loved her, and I believed she loved me too. She spent a lot of time making me believe that," Tracey said.

Tracey testified to police that Celeste had orchestrated the entire plot. According to Tracey, Celeste told her that Steven was an abuser and wanted him dead, then asked Tracey to help her. Celeste allegedly implied that if Steven died, she and Tracey could be together.

In 3/2002, Celeste was arrested and charged with murder, facing a life sentence.

At her 2003 trial, prosecutors described Celeste as a cold, cunning gold digger who married Steven for money and conspired to kill him when their relationship was threatened. Financial records showed Celeste had spent hundreds of thousands of USD in the months leading up to the shooting, and prosecutors alleged Steven had grown tired of her excessive spending.

Conversely, the defense argued Celeste had no motive to kill her husband, asserting that Tracey suffered from a mental disorder and was obsessed with Celeste, while Celeste only wanted to be friends.

"I never asked her to do anything to Steven. Never," Celeste stated to ABC News. She also denied any romantic or physical intimacy with Tracey.

However, her two daughters surprised the court by testifying against Celeste. They presented the jury with a recording of Celeste speaking on the phone about a plan to hire someone to kill Tracey.

On 19/3/2003, Celeste was convicted of murdering her husband and sentenced to 40 years in prison. She will be eligible for parole in 4/2042. Thanks to her plea agreement, Tracey was sentenced to 20 years in prison and was paroled in 2011 after serving about 10 years.

Following the case, Celeste became the subject of numerous true crime shows, including Snapped, Deadly Women, 20/20, and the film Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer. In prison, Celeste co-authored the cookbook From the Big House to Your House with other inmates.

Tracey is living quietly in San Antonio after completing her probation in 2021.

Tue Anh (according to ABC News, ATI)