NTD TelevisionNTD Television

Slain Mississippi Student Ally Kostial Pictured in Old Photos With Murder Suspect as New Allegations of Harassment Emerge

Mimi Nguyen Ly
By Mimi Nguyen Ly
July 25, 2019US News
share
Slain Mississippi Student Ally Kostial Pictured in Old Photos With Murder Suspect as New Allegations of Harassment Emerge
Crime scene (Geralt/Pixabay)

University of Mississippi student, Alexandria “Ally” Kostial, who died of multiple gunshot wounds, was pictured in old photos with a suspect in her murder amid new allegations from a friend that the suspect had “harassed her for years.”

Brandon A. Theesfeld, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, was arrested on July 22 in connection to Kostial’s death. She was 21.

Deputies were on a routine patrol when they found Kostial’s body with multiple gunshot wounds near Sardis Lake, within 10 miles of the University of Mississipi campus where both were studying, ABC News reported.

Multiple sources reported that Kostial was shot eight times.

Theesfeld has been charged with murder and booked into Lafayette County Jail. He appeared in court on Tuesday but did not enter a plea. Lafayette County Circuit Judge Andrew Howorth agreed to consider setting bail for Theesfeld at a later date, which has not been scheduled.

Slain Ole Miss Student
Brandon Theesfeld, left, is led from the Lafayette County Courthouse in Oxford, Miss. on July 23, 2019 by Major Alan Wilburn after being arraigned in connection with the death of Alexandria ‘Ally’ Kostial of St. Louis, Mo. (Bruce Newman, Oxford Eagle via AP)
Slain Ole Miss Student
This photo provided by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department shows Brandon A. Theesfeld, 22, in Oxford, Miss., on July 23, 2019. (Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department via AP)

According to NBC-affiliate WMC-TV, surveillance videos showed Kostial at the door of a bar late July 19. Later, both Kostial and Theesfeld were spotted at a convenience store in Como that was close to where her body was found on July 20.

A friend of Kostial told ABC News that Kostial and Theesfeld had known each other for at least four years.

“I never would’ve seen him doing that,” college friend Rachel Macdonald told ABC News. “Not to say that he couldn’t, ’cause anyone’s capable of anything.”

MacDonald, who has known Kostial for two years, added that the situation is hard to fathom.

“It’s so sad and she didn’t deserve this. No one deserved that,” she said.

Photos posted to Twitter late Wednesday showed Kostial posing together with Theesfeld.

“Absolutely eerie and sad to see pics of Ally Kostial and Brandon Theesfeld together smiling. If this kid really murdered her, that’s as tragic as it gets,” the Twitter user, who goes by the name of Leonardo Fassbender, wrote in his post.

Earlier that day, a friend of Kostial posted to Twitter comments slamming Theesfeld’s treatment of Kostial and calling Theesfeld a “disgusting excuse for a human.”

“He harassed her for years, took advantage of her for years,” Kostial’s friend wrote. “I spent countless nights holding Ally close drying her tears about this monster for years. You deserve hell you disgusting excuse for a human. #JusticeForAlly You will never diminish her sunshine.”

She added, “I will not be addressing the news/media outlets, my friend deserves more than that. All I ask is for you all to think of the good times & warmth Ally brought to everyone. I will speak at trial if necessary.”

Kostial was studying for a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Her father, Keith Kostial, posted on Facebook that his daughter had been attending summer school and teaching fitness classes at the university.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the slain student’s family with funeral expenses.

“Instead of planning for a college graduation, they are now planning for a funeral. The funds from this campaign will be used to help bury Ally,” fund organiser Lynn Holler wrote on the page.

University of Mississippi Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks sent condolences to the family.

“We are truly saddened by the death of Alexandria Kostial,” Sparks wrote. “Ally was a valued member of our campus community. We extend our deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and classmates and stand ready to support them during this time.”

University of Mississippi spokesman Rod Guajardo said that Theesfeld, a student of business administration, has been suspended from the university.

Theesfeld’s father, Dr. Daniel Theesfeld, told WMC-TV that his son didn’t kill Kostial.

“I know my son is innocent,” the father said. “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.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PreviousNext