Broken Arrow murders

The Broken Arrow murders, otherwise known as the Bever family massacre, were a familicide and mass stabbing that occurred on July 22, 2015, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, US. The perpetrators, Robert and Michael Bever, murdered their parents and three siblings, and attempted to murder another sister. It was the deadliest crime and mass murder in the city of Broken Arrow, until a murder-suicide in October 2022 which killed eight people.

Daniel Bever (age 12) called 9-1-1, saving the lives of his sisters Autumn (2) and Crystal (13) by alerting authorities. During the call, the assailants ambushed Daniel in his room and he was subsequently murdered. Crystal, one of the two survivors, identified two of her older brothers, 18-year-old Robert and 16-year-old Michael, as the assailants. The brothers were subsequently arrested and charged with five counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to murder. Robert Bever was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Michael Bever was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Robert Davis Bever (born September 17, 1996) and Michael John Bever (born November 4, 1998) were American homeschool students who are currently serving life sentences for murdering their parents and three siblings on July 22, 2015.

Neighbors said the Bever parents homeschooled their children and kept them from interacting with neighbors or other children. The family's lifestyle was reported to be so inconspicuous that some neighbors found out the full names of the entire family for the first time when the medical examiner released them. Neighbors also reported strange and unsettling behavior by Robert and Michael.

Defense attorneys stated that David Bever was physically and verbally abusive toward his children, according to Crystal's testimony. Robert claimed that both of his parents were abusive to him and the other siblings. He said his parents would often talk about people they hated and would refer to the biblical Armageddon as "a retribution thing for everything they hated about the world".

Robert confessed to committing the familicide. He claimed that he and his brother planned the act for some time and intended to commit a shooting spree outside the family, hoping it would rival and even outdo both the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Aurora theater shooting. Robert later confessed that he and his brother planned to dismember the bodies of their family, place them in storage bins, and hide them in the attic of their home. He also stated that they planned to steal the family car, shoot and kill five random people each at multiple locations, and eventually achieve a body count of at least fifty people. Robert also stated that he admired serial killers, hoped to strike in locations outside of Oklahoma, and wanted to achieve a body count of up to 500 people or more. Robert talked about a plan to make two videos, one showing the bodies that they believed would only be seen by police and prosecutors, and another version without the bodies that could be posted online.

Detectives said they found a hatchet, knife, darts and a surgical blade inside the Bever family home. Detectives also recovered wireless cameras, a bulletproof vest, a neck protector, a black mask and shin guards, along with computers and cellphones. A detective said Robert told him he got a job at a religious call center to earn money to buy knives, body armor, helmets, bullets and guns. He said they ordered body armor and collected knives for months. Robert told them he found out he could order guns and get them delivered to a gun shop. He said he ordered ammunition to be delivered to their home the day after their family was killed.

At around 11:30 p.m. on July 22, 2015, police were alerted to 709 Magnolia Court by a 9-1-1 phone call made by 12-year-old Daniel Bever, who stated his brother was attacking the family. Screaming, commotion, and a male voice were heard in the background before the line went dead. Dispatchers tracked the address by searching the number. After a failed attempt to contact the father, David Bever, they dispatched officers to the scene.