The suspended University of Mississippi student accused of murdering his classmate Ally Kostial has a prior criminal history.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, 22-year-old Brandon Theesfeld is facing murder charges for the death of 21-year-old Kostial, who was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds on Saturday morning. A Lafayette County Sheriff’s deputy on a routine patrol found the body in a remote area near Sardis Lake, about 30 miles from the Ole Miss campus in Oxford.
Some acquaintances of Theesfeld’s who have spoken to the media have painted a picture of an overprivileged partier who sometimes made misogynist comments. A friend of Kostial’s who spoke to the Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity claimed that Theesfeld was emotionally abusive towards Kostial during their on-and-off relationship, and said that Kostial described him as “crazy aggressive,” but nonetheless tried to see the good in him.
Oxford police told the Clarion Ledger that Theesfeld was previously arrested in 2017 for public drunkenness. Police also said that Theesfeld once called to request a welfare check on someone else. According to the report, there are no police records involving Theesfeld and Kostial.
According to the Associated Press, the murder case against Theesfeld is expected to be handed over to a grand jury. District Attorney Ben Creekmore has reportedly filed a motion to deny Theesfeld bail.
Authorities have not revealed what led them to pursue Theesefeld for Kostial’s murder. The Texas native was apprehended on Monday at a Memphis gas station, and charged with murder the next day. He reportedly had blood on his clothes, and a weapon was found in his truck.
Theesfeld’s attorney Anthony Farese told WMC-45 that his client is expected to plead not guilty, and that his attorneys are preparing a defense.
“We’ll certainly try to obtain copies of police reports. We’ll interview witnesses. We’ll go to the scene in question and we will look at the forensics,” Farese told the news station.
A request for comment from Theesfeld’s attorney was not immediately returned.
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