Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
“Spring Breaking Up” is an upcoming episode of Investigation Discovery’s Murder in the Heartland. It will be aired on ID on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET. The episode will delve into the disappearance and murder of Tynesha Stewart, a 19-year-old student at Texas A&M University.
Tynesha Stewart was reported missing on March 19, 2007. She was last seen on March 15, 2007, when she last spoke to her sister at about noon. In the conversation, Stewart said she was with her ex-boyfriend, Timothy Shepherd. During the investigation, the police found that Shepherd’s neighbors had noticed a strange odor wafting from his balcony. They observed black smoke and abnormal flames coming from two barbecue grills on his balcony.
The investigation further revealed that Timothy Shepherd had dismembered Tynesha Stewart’s body and burned it on a barbecue grill in his second-floor apartment. Shepherd was 27 years old and had admitted to murdering his ex-girlfriend. He was reportedly outraged that she had gotten into another relationship. When the murder took place after Stewart was back home from college for spring break and was visiting her mother, NBC News reported.
According to another report by NBC News, the police recovered 30 pieces of burnt bone and hair from Timothy Shepherd’s apartment. During his trial, the prosecutors argued that Shepherd believed he was entitled to kill her as she had disregarded him. In October 2008, Shepherd was convicted of Tynesha Stewart’s murder and received a maximum sentence of 99 years. As per ABC 13, he was also asked to pay a fine of $10,000.
How was Tynesha Stewart’s killer caught?
When Timothy Shepherd’s neighbors grew suspicious about the unusual amounts of black smoke and flames from his balcony, they called the authorities. However, Shepherd did not open the door to firefighters, which led to the arrival of H.C.S.O officials. They forced an entry and found a large amount of meat being barbecued. According to Oxygen, they had also found ice in the bathtub, but the firefighters left the scene after extinguishing the fire.
When detectives investigating Tynesha Stewart’s disappearance found out about Shepherd’s neighbors’ suspicions, they questioned him. He claimed that he picked Tynesha up early in the morning and was driving her to his place. While they were on the way, she reportedly got a call from another guy, Mark, which triggered Shepherd. He confronted her, and she allegedly walked off, upset. He claimed that was the last time he saw her.
However, officials found multiple bleach stains in the apartment, along with several bottles of ammonia and bleach. However, the police did not have enough evidence to arrest Shepherd. Tynesha Stewart’s family then contacted Quanell X, a civil rights activist who decided to visit Shepherd’s apartment. At that moment, Shepherd confessed to him that he had killed Tynesha and burned her body on the grills.
As per Fox News, authorities initially believed that Tynesha Stewart’s body had been dumped in a big commercial trash bin. They suspected the remains would have been scattered in several different landfills by then. A search to recover them would be costly and nearly impossible.
“Spring Breaking Up” will be aired on ID on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
