Murder In Mississippi: The Case Of Ally Kostial

Allie, what are you doing? Taking a picture for Sunsets by Allie. Follow [laughter] me. 21-year-old Alexandria Madison Costell was born in St. Louis, Missouri to parents Keith and Cindy. Allie’s friend Rachel said she knew how to make everyone laugh. She knew how to make everyone feel loved.

 She went out of her way for anyone, whether she knew them or not. Sports had always been a big love of hers. She ran track and did cheerleading in high school, and her coach said she didn’t take the easy way out of things. She liked challenges. She was not afraid of working hard. It was then time for her college journey, and she wanted to study business and marketing.

Allie loved  pink, pearls, and flowers, and her mom Cindy said one of the reasons Allie decided to go to the University of Mississippi was because there were so many flowers around the campus. The whole vibe of the place just made her so happy. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi.

 It is the home opener of the Ole Miss Rebels. She joined Ole Miss School of Business Administration on the University of Mississippi campus, majoring in business and marketing. She took to college like a duck to water, embracing every part of her experience. Allie was always a natural leader, and as well as her degree, she was a founding member of her sorority Alpha Phi, the president of the Ole Miss Golf Club, and the founder of some of the running clubs, too.

She taught yoga and Pilates classes, worked as a babysitter and lifeguard, and would even travel to Peru and parts of Africa to volunteer as an English teacher for young children.    Flash forward to the summer of 2019 and Ali was going to be a senior set to graduate in the spring of 2020. And while many went home, she decided to stay in Mississippi and take some extra classes.

In early July, Ali’s parents visited her apartment and Ali was having so much fun. She asked them to stay for an extra day. She wanted her mom to cook some of her favorite meals. They did some shopping and got some beach themed decor for her room. Friday, July 19th, 2019. At 7:00 p.m., Ali called her mom.

 She had just woken up from a nap after having a test that day and told her mom she was going out with some friends for the evening. Her social life was as busy as her work and she was never short of places to go. Ali hung up, got ready, and headed out into the nightlife. At around 10:30 a.m. on July 20th, a deputy was on a routine patrol of an area called Buford’s Ridge near Sardis Lake.

A remote and empty place with an abandoned desolate fishing camp. The area occasionally saw the odd person fishing or college students riding ATVs through it. But there were no houses, no street lights, nothing but long winding roads for miles. It was not a place you would typically walk through and definitely not at night or alone.

 As he made his way around, the deputy’s routine walk would suddenly turn out to be anything but. Ali’s bloodied body was on the ground and she was riddled with bullet holes. Her purse, school ID, and driver’s license were nearby along with some empty drink cans. She had been shot at least nine times and there were 11 shell casings at the crime scene.

Lafayette County investigator Jared Bundren said he had never worked a murder where somebody had been shot that many times. Someone in the area reported hearing gunshots while walking their dog sometime around 2:15 a.m. And this was 30 miles away from her college campus. Using her school ID, they were able to get hold of her roommate and started making calls.

Hey Morgan, this is Lafayette Oxford campus police. I’m calling in regards to a friend of yours, Ally  Kostial. They found her on some of the cameras around town from that night. At 11:52 p.m., Ally had walked out of a bar called Funky’s and 5 minutes later she got into a silver minivan outside of a place called Rooster’s Blues House.

 Her phone data and license plate told them it was an Uber. But the driver knew nothing. She had been dropped at her apartment safe and well. This story matched with her Uber account and her roommates confirmed that she did indeed come home. What her roommates hadn’t heard, however, was her leaving again sometime later.

 But she hadn’t got into another Uber. So, who had she left with? There was no way she could have got to where she was found without transport. An unbelievable tragedy  no family would ever want to experience. A college student killed while far away from home. Good evening, I’m Anne Allred.  And I’m Mike Bush. A St. Louis County family is mourning the death of their 21-year-old daughter.

 Police found Ally Kostial’s body near a lake in Mississippi over the weekend. Saturday during a routine patrol, deputies found the 21-year-old body near a a 20 miles from the Ole Miss campus. To find out that she was brutally murdered, that’s just it’s just shocking.  I spoke to Ally’s dad, Keith, in person Monday morning, but he didn’t want to go on camera.

 As you can imagine, he was visibly distraught. A sweet and genuine girl who always had a smile on her face.  She quite possibly was the nicest human being that I’ve ever met.  Ally was just one of those people that would just constantly lift you up. So, that’s why it’s so hard for me and I think a lot of her other friends is just like no one deserves this.

 The sorority house pillars now dawn black bows in mourning. Alpha Phi also released a statement saying in part, “We hope that those who were closest to Ally can find peace as they reflect on the lasting impact she made on the lives of her family members and friends.”    The students and teachers on campus were obviously in total shock.

 Ally had literally been taking a test the day before, seeing her friends and living her life. No one could process it. Ole Miss interim Chancellor Larry Sparks released a statement saying in part, “Ally was an engaged member of our community with friends across our campus and a promising future. These events remind us of the importance of leaning on each other in the wake of an event we cannot understand.

 The University Counseling Center is offering walk-in grief counseling. We must draw strength from what brings us together as a community even as we grieve this unspeakable loss.” Steve Courtney, the memorial continues to grow outside of the high school here tonight. More flowers and balloons, photos of the Lindbergh High School graduate where this vigil here was held tonight.

 They decided to focus not on the horrors that happened just south of us in Mississippi, but instead focus on the life that Ally led. I’ll just never forget the lesson she taught me is if you want to do something in life, go after it and never be afraid to be yourself. Memories that will last a lifetime for friends who were forced to say goodbye too soon.

 Friends, classmates, and teachers of Ally Costil gathered around the flagpole of Limburg High School tonight to say goodbye. I think it really set in when I was talking about the memories that we had and looked out to see everyone [snorts] that she impacted.  At the vigil, friends left notes and memories on a large sign they plan to give to her parents.

 Just so they can see like how much she actually impacted our community and everyone that loved her. From the crowd, it’s clear in her 21 years of life Ally touched so many. These friends say they are thankful that they have each other to lean on as well as this community. A visitation is planned for tomorrow.

 Funeral services will be held on Saturday. Live from Limburg High School, Alexis Otos, News 4. Talking to her friends and other students, they were now looking for names, any unusual behaviors as of late, anything, no matter how small it might seem. They needed to know everything about Ally’s last few weeks and months. This morning a multi-agency manhunt is underway as concern grips this small Mississippi college town.

 Authorities hunting for a suspect in the apparent murder of Ally Costil. And this is what it looks like around the lake where authorities found her body. You can see a number of trees, also winding roads get you here. And I’ve only seen a few houses, so this area is very remote. Costil was studying marketing at the university with a deepening mystery has classmates on edge.

 It’s makes you want to be more careful. I go out and go to Sardis with my friends all the time and I run around my neighborhood at night time. Like you don’t There’s people out there you don’t know. You feel like you can trust everybody, but maybe you can’t. While the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department is not releasing many details of the investigation, its investigators are following several leads.

 In a statement, the University of Mississippi offering its condolences. And it’s the unknown that is adding to the sense of concern for classmates and also residents in this area that is quieter right now because most students are away for the summer. In the meantime, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations is helping in the search for answers. Cecilia. Okay, Marcus.

That’s just a sad story there. Thank you. In Ally’s room, they noticed that her cell phone was gone, but her Apple Watch was still there. And some of her messages were still synced to the watch. Between some of the texts and what her friends were saying, they had landed on a name, Brandon Theisfeld. In the fall of 2016, Ally had met fellow student Brandon, and they had had an on-and-off relationship since then.

Friends said that Brandon did not treat her well at all. He’d say hurtful, degrading things, one friend said. Another friend said she had spent countless nights with Ally as she had cried over him. Brandon would harass her and then totally ghost her, block her and then unblock her. She wanted it to be the real deal, someone to even marry and start a family with, but he was never on the same page.

Everyone said, put simply, she liked him more than he liked her. He could be the loveliest guy and then show a really aggressive, angry side. Ally had always wanted him to meet her friends, and they had also wanted to get to know him, but hardly anyone would see him. The 21-year-old’s always-positive and can-do attitude was being pushed to the limit with how hot and cold he was.

Brandon’s roommate Rex said he led her on a lot, enough to where it could be considered emotional abuse. He definitely had a violent streak. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. He was pretty much a daddy’s boy type. Constantly had to reference his father’s money, how his dad could get him out of anything. Just that attitude all the time.

 Any type of vulgar comments he could say, any type of rude comment to anybody in our dorm, any of the women. Looking over the thread of messages discovered through Ally’s Apple Watch, Brandon quickly became suspect number one. The texts revealed that Ally may have been pregnant with Brandon’s baby and she wanted to meet with him in person to discuss what to do.

 During her autopsy, it was revealed that she was not pregnant. However, it could not be ruled out that she could have been at one point. On April 14th, Ally had sent Brandon a photo of an inconclusive pregnancy test. He replied saying, “All right. Well, if it is pregnant, we aren’t keeping it.” Following up by saying that becoming a father at the age of 22 would ruin his life.

He then made searches for abortion services, abortion pills, and mother wants kid, father does not. Their communication after this was only via phone and it seemed Ally wasn’t coping well with things at all. She sent him a few more pictures of inconclusive tests and would text lengthy, sometimes rambling, almost totally one-sided messages to Brandon begging for him to meet with her in person and talk about things.

At one point, she sent him a text saying that she was bleeding heavily and believed something was wrong. On July 18th, just before 2:00 a.m., Ally sent him a text message, a photo of her stomach. This was just 2 days before she was killed. After this, he had sent a text to her asking if she was free to talk in person.

A few hours later, she was dead. The police called Brandon and asked if he could come in for a chat. He said he couldn’t make it that day, but he would be with them first thing Monday morning, 8:30 sharp. But Monday morning came and went. Brandon didn’t turn up. Investigators didn’t waste any more time and started tracking his phone.

 It seemed they would be waiting for a long time for him to volunteer his time. His phone and bank card data showed he was driving away from Oxford, Mississippi towards Memphis, Tennessee. Authorities issued a be on the lookout for his vehicle, which fortunately was pretty distinctive. His license plate spelled out “take it”. They also obtained an arrest affidavit for murder.

And about 2 hours after the be on the lookout started circulating, Brandon was found at a gas station and arrested. He was wearing clothes that were stained with blood. And inside his truck, the police found a .40 caliber gun. One he had taken from his father’s house. He even posted a picture of the gun on Snapchat with the caption, “Finally  taking my baby back to Oxford.

” This gun was a match to the crime scene. And that breaking news from Lafayette County, an arrest is made in the shooting death of Ole Miss student Ally Kostial. The person behind bars is another Ole Miss student. Chief Deputy Alan Wilburn said that Brandon Theesfeld, of Texas, charged with Kostial’s murder.

 Theesfeld’s Facebook page lists that he is a student at the University of Mississippi. Wilburn will not go into the particulars of the case except that Brandon went before a judge this morning for his initial appearance. His booking photo will be released a later this afternoon. Back at Brandon’s apartment, they found a handwritten note addressed to his parents.

It appeared to be a confession of sorts. Part of it read, “Dear mom and dad, I am not a good person. It is not your fault. Something in me just doesn’t work. I’ve always had terrible thoughts. I’ve always had these demons. I know I’m going to get caught. Those thoughts have been fueled by cocaine and alcohol.

 I think this is the end for me. I’m either going to prison or going to die. I’m sorry I’m a shitty son. I also know that you will love me no matter what.” His search history in the last few days added more fuel to the fire. Internet searches for silencers and weapons. And it even looked into the serial killer Ted Bundy and how he had lured his victims.

 He also looked up domestic violence murders, how to tie people up, weapons used to choke, and morph suits. His lawyer, hired by his parents, said they could all be troubling, but it depended on how you looked at them. His father, Daniel, said, “I know my son is innocent, and I have reasons to believe that I can’t share anything now, but I would ask everybody to please give him the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.

” Brandon was extradited back to Lafayette County. They already knew that on Friday, July 19th, just before midnight, Ali had left the bar in Oxford Square and arrived home by Uber. Brandon had been at a friend’s house and had turned up with the gun and a six-pack of beer. He disappeared just before 1:00 a.m. without his friend seeing him, and he got in his truck to go and get Ali.

She too was able to slip out without anyone hearing her and get into Brandon’s truck under the guise that they were going to talk everything through and make a plan. Having taken cocaine and consumed alcohol, at 1:14 a.m., he drove them to the abandoned fishing camp near Sardis Lake, about 45 minutes away. Cell phone records put both Ali and Brandon there for the whole journey.

The roads got narrower and darker, thick forests looming over the sides, right the way up to the abandoned fishing building. No lights, nothing for miles. It is frightening to think of those final dark, cold moments for Ali. Did she know what was about to happen before it did? No one apart from Brandon knows what happened when they got there and what, if any, conversation took place, but Brandon circled around a picnic table and shot Ali repeatedly from different angles.

 much Jacob and a funeral was held Saturday for a University of Mississippi student.  As Brandon sat in custody, more than 100 people gathered from all over for Ally’s funeral. Her high school track coach drove more than 14 hours to say goodbye. She was that kid, the reason that coaches coach, he said. After a mental health evaluation, they concluded that Brandon was of a sound state of mind when he killed Ally.

 His attorney acknowledged this, but also wanted it known that Brandon was drunk and under the influence of cocaine. On August 30th, 2019, a grand jury indicted Brandon on a capital murder charge, and he pleaded not guilty. It was capital due to the fact they believed how he had lured her to the car constituted kidnapping as well as the murder.

Prosecutors highlighted the pregnancy test as the driving motive behind her murder. He had made it clear he was not interested and openly said to her that it would ruin his life. Brandon told his lawyers he doubted she was ever pregnant. And in my today, the defense attorneys asked for a psychological evaluation.

 In the meantime, the accused killer, Brandon Theisfeld, will stay in jail. The family of Ally Costel spoke for the first time, her cousin reading a short statement in court. We pray for strength in the coming days and are thankful for the friends, neighbors, co-workers, and many others who have supported us. Costel’s family traveled from St.

 Louis to Mississippi for the hearing. Brandon Theisfeld is charged with murder. His attorney says he was going to request bond, but after he discovered new information, he decided to ask for a mental health evaluation. Outside of court, a handful of young women held signs saying justice for Ally. It’s incredibly difficult for us to have to deal with these kind of cases.

Uh and I know it’s just terrible. Uh, and and difficult for them not only to have to deal with that kind of loss, but but then to have to come and and face this. The prosecution’s case was just about as strong as it could get. Their phone data is putting them together the night she was shot, the pregnancy motive, the bloody clothes, and the gun that matched the shell casings at the scene, and the letter which appeared to be a confession.

Brandon’s trial would face various delays made worse by the pandemic. However, almost 2 years to the date since he was charged, on August 27th, 2021, Brandon Theisfeld pleaded guilty to first-degree murder instead of capital murder, which would spare him the death penalty. The story he told his lawyer was that they had both been drinking and that he had done some cocaine.

 He pulled out the gun and fired it all over the lake. Ali freaked out, and a few moments later, he shot her. Brandon denied her murder was planned, but the evidence just did not point this way. She was also not shot once. She was shot almost 10 times. It was total overkill in as a remote location as you could find.

 The prosecution said there was no doubt    this was premeditated. Even his own lawyer said there was no justification for his actions and no explanation for why he did what he did. His lawyer said he had all the potential to be a great and successful person. He had a lot of love at home. His dad was a doctor.

 He was in a good school and showed a lot of skill in a lot of areas. By all accounts, had a lovely childhood. He had never been in so much as a fight, let alone had a history of violence. What happened that led to him doing this was anyone’s guess. A new chapter in the tragedy tonight. Brandon Theisfeld  sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty.

Theisfeld was led into a Mississippi courtroom today by four officers, handcuffed in a bright orange jumpsuit.  tragic situation. It’s akin to a Greek tragedy.    He was sentenced to life in prison, but he will be eligible for conditional release when he turns 65 years old. For the first time since appearing in court, Brandon actually showed some emotion.

 He told Ali’s family in court, “I am sincerely sorry for the pain I’ve caused while taking Ali from you. My actions have forever changed your lives and my family’s lives. I wish I could take it all back, but I can’t. There is no excuse for my actions, and I have asked God for forgiveness. I hope one day that you will find it in your heart to forgive me.

” Brandon’s mom, Carrie, said, “When I heard Brandon was being spoken to by the police, I still had no single thought him. Now, after 2 years and knowing more of the details of their relationship, I’m heartbroken for every person this impacts and crushed that our son did not share with us any of the turmoil he was trying to manage.

 I encourage every parent to regularly sit down with their children, teenagers, young adults, and discuss with them that there will never be anything too big, too complicated, too out of control that they cannot tell you about. We will always pray for the family and friends of Ali Costel.” Ali’s friends started fundraising with the goal of $150,000 for the dedication of the Mind and Body Studio in the South Campus Recreation Center in her name.

Ali’s dad, Keith, said it seems like his daughter is still away at school. The quietest moments are the most haunting. The moments in between the busyness, the tasks, the chats. The moments alone with your own loud thoughts. Ali was just like up to do anything. She just wanted to like live life to the fullest.

 She would walk in a room and just whole like room would light up. Like I always knew she was like there. Like she was like my person. I could just  [snorts]  always count on her. I feel like I just I’m going to like wake up tomorrow and it just it’s going to be over. Ali was clearly destined to achieve anything she put her mind to.

She gave everything 110%. Pictures and videos can’t ever sum up a person. They just reflect snippets of a time in life, but sometimes they really show someone’s spirit and energy perfectly. And this goes for Ali, too. The 21-year-old loved sunsets and made an Instagram account to upload all of the colorful pictures to.

Her friends say that whenever they see a really vibrant sunset, they say hi to her. Ali’s best friend Maddie said, “I’m going to try to be more happy all the time like her. Be optimistic and live life to the fullest like she did. And remember that smile in the back of my head to keep me going.” If you’d like to support our channel and help us to continue to make content, please don’t forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe.