What Ally Kostial Didn’t Know | Full Episode | Forensic Files

foreign [Music] got along with everyone she was very bubbly and spirited she always had a
smile on her face [Music] Holly what are you doing taking an adventure for sunsets by Alex
she wanted to live the college life in a large University she really wanted to be involved in a
school that had that ranking good football team Bob Hemingway Stadium Oxford Mississippi it is the home opener
for the Ole Miss Rebels it's fair to say she loved Ole Miss yes Ali loved Ole Miss
thank you it was fairly late at night she was going out to the bar it wasn't weird for her to like go out
on her own and meet up with other people at the square where all the bars are she
takes an Uber and she goes home alone [Music] Sardis Lake is a big area there's lots
of hunting camps and recreational spaces that people use on the lake the sheriff's department here does a really
good job of doing their best to patrol these locations the deputies on a routine Patrol of that
area I don't know what the Moonlight was like but there's nothing around you you're in the
pitch black dark it's not like a Lover's Lane or nothing it's just rule a lot of
people don't know about it when you got there what did you find a white female laying on the ground with
multiple gunshot wounds to her back I have not worked a murderer somebody's been shot that many times
when the ambulance crew was driving in they noticed the perks and the road ditch as soon as we opened the purse Ole
Miss ID card and a driver's license [Music] Morgan This is my pastel I realized I had a missed call
when it was the police and they were calling about ali the police came to the door and they told us
what did they tell you there'd been a homicide in that she was the victim and I still don't believe it
here we are that led investigators to go and look in her apartment in her room and they found
her Apple watch and even though her phone was not there some of those messages still synced to
that watch hardest thing to do is to go back and read her messages the heinousness of this
the crime itself to shoot her as many times as she had been shot seemed so personal yeah
basically almost was like execution type Style in your mind the motive for murder was
get rid of a problem how would you describe this case a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions
foreign [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] it's unclear why a 21 year old dude would be in that area some 30 miles away
from campus authorities have released limited details on the case but did say they
suspect Foul Play though it's been years since Cindy and Keith costell's daughter Ali was found
murdered on July 20th 2019. it still doesn't seem real to them it does seem like she's still away at
school and I still don't believe it and here we are still on denial the costals had visited Ali at her
apartment a few days before she wanted us to stay an extra day she was having so much fun
she wanted me to cook her home-cooked meals we went shopping she loves a beach theme so we just
bought a bunch of new Decor you know Cindy and Keith had returned home to St Louis when Cindy spoke with Ali on the
phone just hours before she died it was like seven o'clock at night she had just
woken up from a nap because she had a test actually on that day I said what are you going to do tonight she said I'm
gonna go out with some friends 24 hours later Lafayette County Sheriff's Department investigator Jared
bundren was hoping Clues from Ali's Apple watch might lead to the first break in the case we just started from
there what was she like to you it was like my sister like so many who knew and loved Ali
Maddie Norris one of her best friends in high school was trying to make sense of
what had happened I just was like in shock the two were inseparable it was like if
Ali was in her Maddie was there I love you too she was like my other half we have like a bunch of adventures
together girl things watching chick flicks watching likely blind [Music] I'm driving in her convertible
when it came time to go prom dress shopping she just tried on this red dress and she called her mom was like I might
have to get this dress did she have a boyfriend in high school she had boys she had like crushes on but
nothing ever serious she didn't find a date for prom and so I asked her to remember all the
days after graduation Ally was thrilled to be heading to a college steeped in Tradition history and football
the University of Mississippi she liked the preppy life very like girly like pearls thank you
Ali arrived in the fall of 2016. but the marketing business major may have had something more on her mind she
wanted to meet a southern boy and get married and have children one day and she thought that would be a perfect
setting for her to meet her her companion for life by junior year we were thick as thieves
like best friends Morgan hall went to college with Ally she's always like rearranging and redecorating her room
too which was always so funny to find little Ally like moving all the furniture around by herself we were both
from St Louis Elizabeth Brock met Ali at a campus party and became fast friends so then we're like oh my God how did we
like not me until now Elizabeth says Ally was fascinated by sunsets she had a sunset Instagram account where she'd
post pictures that she took of sunsets as for dating at College Cindy recalled Ali saying she met someone her freshman
year she said I met this boy he's from Texas she for whatever reason loves the state of Texas and she was real excited
to invite him to a sorority dance that's the boy she really liked what did she first say about him
thought she found a guy that was cute that she was starting to like had a crush on
that Crush would turn out to be fellow student Brandon thiesfeld from Fort Worth
was she really excited about him yes like Head Over Heels I think she took him to most of her date parties
that her sorority had so when Maddie went down to Oxford to visit she was looking forward to meeting
the new man in Ali's life unfortunately I never met him things did not go as planned you never met him
because he never came around never came around how does she feel about that I mean it hurt her
you had like your best friend from high school coming down to visit you and your crush
is it my a Maddie was concerned that there was something about her friend's relationship that wasn't quite right
but otherwise Ally seemed to be thriving at college she loved it she couldn't act enough of
it she finally achieved the goal of going there and she just was living her life
three years later her life was cut short now with a clock ticking on finding our
killer Ali's Apple watch proved invaluable to investigators what did the watch tell you the watch was telling you
she was having very lengthy text message conversation with Brandon Brandon thiesfeld Ali's freshman year
Crush it seemed the two were planning to see each other that very night learn more about Ali's life and what
investigators found at 48hours.com [Music] when investigators discovered that Ally's last text messages were with
Brandon thiesfeld they wanted to talk to him and soon we called late Saturday early Sunday morning to come in and give
her an interview investigators also tried tracking Ali's phone on Saturday but it only pinged
once in Oxford before the signal died thiesfeld responded but made excuses about why he couldn't meet all weekend
finally he said that he would be there at 8 30 Monday morning at 8 30 Monday morning came no-branding
Lafayette County assistant district attorney Mickey Mallett says that's when the decision was made to start tracking
his phone when they do that mid-morning on a real-time situation they can see where he is what did you find out that
he was on Interstate 55 headed North toward Memphis from here to go to where he lives in Texas that's probably the
most common way to go they can see his location moving away from Oxford District Attorney Ben Creekmore says
with these Feld appearing to be on the Run investigators got an Affidavit of arrest for murder and immediately sent
out a bulletin when we saw that his truck was leaving Oxford there was a bolo for his tag a
bolo be on the lookout it didn't take long for the Memphis fugitive task force to spot these fell about an hour and a
half two hours later they caught him at a gas station bundrin says these Feld was sitting at
the pumps in his pickup truck which had easy to spot license plates the tag on the plates
says take it hard to miss very hard to miss a dash cam captured thieves felt being taken into custody police
immediately alerted investigators in Mississippi about what they found in the truck and on his clothing
he had a 40 caliber gun consistent with the caliber of the shell casings that were found on the scene and he had blood
on him bundren headed north to pick him up he was calm you know read him his rights he
invoked his rights won his returning he was picked up in Tennessee we asked him if he would sign a waiver Expedition
and come back to Mississippi and he signed we brought him back with these felt in custody investigators
began retracing his steps the weekend of Ally's murder they learned that he had been popping up
all over Oxford starting on Saturday he stayed with some friends they said he was very casual
they went bowling normal stuff but there was nothing normal about what he brought
to a friend's house on Sunday said he came in to his house carrying a gun and unloaded the gun in the house brought in
a six pack of beer and said that they set up for a while when he got up the next morning he was gone
while Feast Feld wasn't talking to investigators he would eventually talk to an attorney Tony Faris hired by his
family he had a life full of Promise received lots of love and a good Christian family
for Reese Learned thiesfeld was a doctor's son he seemed to have enjoyed a typical Texas childhood he liked
outdoors hunting and fishing he was a soccer player he had never been in a fight in school no History of Violence
it wasn't long after arriving in Oxford that these Feld met Ally he met her at a
local bar they dated casually during their freshman year I think she was a more enthralled with Brandon than
Brandon was with her quite candidly according to fares their relationship became
complicated when they were sophomores did he actually block her from his phone yes she had texted him so much late at
night when she's out drinking and partying and it got to the point where he did block her phone yes
but something shifted by their junior year and the two got back in touch I think she saw this as a mutual romantic
Endeavor and Brandon did not see it that way which would explain one thing so when
did you first meet him I never met him Ally's closest friends didn't know these Feld at all Morgan
says she'd only met him one time it's so odd that we were her best friends and we
still really didn't even know him that well like when this happened we didn't even know his last name
but in August of 2019 feesfeld's name was front page news that's when the case was presented to a grand jury the
evidence included pictures of the gun and shell casings and this letter investigators recovered during a search
of his apartment apparently written by thiesfeld the weekend Ally was found dead prosecutors say it's a confession
the letter that he's written to his mom and dad concerned about what he's done these Feld wrote that he'd always had
terrible thoughts this is the end for me I'm either going to prison or going to die he also wrote I know I'm going to
get caught he confessed I think he did he didn't say he committed the murder you could argue that it was a confession
an apology to his mom what's an apology Tony For Recess he spoke to piecefeld about the letter and says it was also
something more a suicide note he writes a goodbye note to his family tells them that he loves them
apologizes for what he's done I am told by Brandon that he has the gun to his head and then passes out
the grand jury handed down their indictment Capital One murder at the Time Jake Thompson was a reporter for
the local paper the Oxford Eagle he says these felt face the death penalty for kidnapping and murdering Ali it rocked
Oxford to its core because you know Oxford takes in these people they they're one of their own for four years
five or so everyone you're here and so it was it was tough for both the academic and the university and the
citizens of Oxford in late September fees Feld appeared in court to enter a plea not guilty it's a big question and
you know of course why did it happen and that was something that we were all initially trying to figure out
investigators hope to find some answers in hundreds of text messages between Ali
and these Feld and what they discovered included some life-changing news the first message is about it started in
early April [Music] we're stuck can't move forward days are just rough when you think about
her not being here that makes you feel what sad and broken [Music] as Ali's friends and family waited for
Brandon thiesfeld to go to trial for her murder prosecutors were building their case
they were hoping text messages between the two could provide insight about what may have led to her death
we know more about what he may have been thinking and we know more about what she
may have been thinking what was the relationship between these two well that that might be different depending on who
you ask I think it would be fair to say that she looked at it with a more serious eye over the entirety of their
relationship these feld's defense attorney Tony Faris from Brandon's standpoint it was a
casual sexual relationship they were never boyfriend and girlfriend they didn't go on dates like he didn't pick
her up take her anywhere out to dinner none of that but he would tell her that he wasn't good enough for her and that's
why they couldn't be together Morgan and Elizabeth say it was an odd relationship
he definitely manipulated her carried out over text I think we were just more like upset with how if she would show us
like texts from him or tell us things he would say that were really unkind to her
so you knew she liked this boy yeah yeah but she never really had mentioned him at least to me over time or that he was
you know even in the scene at all was there anything in her behavior that suggested things weren't
normal see and that's the thing she's told me everything in life but never discussed him
Cindy and Keith say they have not read their daughter's text conversations uncovered by investigators now we
haven't read any of it will you I don't know if I can in April 2019 just three months before
her death Ali was getting ready for spring semester finals what her mom didn't know was Ali was focused on a
different kind of test a home pregnancy test when you learned about that was has something so out of
line for Ali in her behavior big time yeah on April 14th she texted Brandon thiesfeld a photo of an inconclusive
home pregnancy test and this message like it's a very faint blue line but I don't know I guess I can wait and see if
my period comes these fields response well all right we will see but if it is pregnant we are not keeping we can get a
pill she was definitely worried she thought she might be pregnant in this text Ali
it seems was anxious and conflicted I'm not saying what I am gonna do because I don't know what's happening but even if
you don't want to be involved like I am really pretty and sweet and I know I will meet a real man one day
it appeared these fell did not see fatherhood in his immediate future I'm serious no kid at all it will ruin my
life she was trying to get into contact with Brandon about this and she had texted him and he would either just
ignore her or do the thing where he would tell her okay like I will come over tonight and we can talk about this
and then he would never show up so she talked to you about this yeah she came to us right away
investigators would later learn after Brandon thiesfeld received news about that pregnancy test he had been
searching the internet for mother once kid father does not yes he did suggest an abortion initially
there was a talk about that he regrets that but that did occur that's memorialized in the text messages so in
your mind if she was pregnant she would have had the baby she would have given it the world honestly
Ali despite the ambiguous test result would text these fell day and night many of her messages are long revealing and
troubling says forensic psychologist Chris mohandi he was not involved in the case we asked him to read some of the
text messages these lengthy pretty much one-sided conversations that were initiated by Ali you know with very
little in return from Brandon make this a very lopsided investment into this relationship this exchange begins on
Monday April 15 2019. at 12 57 a.m with Ali writing I lived it up this weekend and was drunk
24 7. I did that so my body might decide haha no not today then at 2 37 a.m she texts I thought about it if you want to
talk to me in person that would be better feesfeld responds almost nine hours later I can talk tomorrow I'm busy today
I'm still going to have the decision of the pill to me there's several layers there you sense that at all based on
what you've read that he has any desire to keep her on the sideline it appears that he has no desire to keep
her on the sideline from what I've seen in these communications he's communicating just enough for a purpose
to try to influence her into terminating the pregnancy if indeed she is pregnant
that seems to me to be his only investment in any of these communications mohandi says Ali may have
been trying to get Brandon thiesfeld's attention with texts about her drinking in the past 48 hours I've literally
drank a full bottle of tequila two bottles of champagne seven beers a glass of wine I I can't even imagine someone
her size being able to consume that much alcohol that's a lot of alcohol to consume for somebody of her size and
for many people if not most people my concern would be you know alcohol poisoning or an overdose from alcohol
which is why I raised the question of how much he's drinking or it's being exaggerated to show hey to tell Brandon
I'm self-destructive come to my rescue you gotta help me I'm desperate do you believe Brendan believed she was
pregnant I know that Ali claimed to have been pregnant so the question is why would she claim to be pregnant if she
were not pregnant hence my conclusion is that she wanted a serious relationship with Brandon which
in her mind could have included marriage the text messages had created a digital
map of a complicated relationship they also gave investigators clues about where thies Feld was heading a week
before Ali's death Friday July 12th these felt would take a road trip home to Fort Worth Texas that
same day Ali texted him a photo of two more ambiguous home pregnancy tests less than 48 hours later at 4 16 pm he posts
a disturbing photo on social media he does a Snapchat saying with with a picture of this 40
caliber gun and there's a chilling caption finally taking my baby back to Oxford
[Music] by the time Brandon thiesfelt drove back from Texas to Mississippi he'd left a
digital footprint and prosecutors say it revealed a deeply disturbing web search
history he is doing some computer searches on how to get away with crimes how to conceal crimes planning
preparation type stuff how to tie people up how to lure them in he did a search on Ted undies
for Ali's friend Morgan it was an eerie reminder a few months before this happened Ali and I watched the Ted Bundy
movie together [Music] and we just sat in her bed and we ate popcorn and snacks and we were like this
is so messed up and then months later you know this happens to Ally what explanation do you have for what he
was thinking when he's making these searches well he certainly has some searches that could be troubling it
depends on how you view those when you start looking at someone's search history you're watching TV you've got
all sorts of new shows that feature Ted Bundy attorney Tony fari says the search
history does improve these files have been planning to shoot Ali he says there is an innocent explanation for why his
client brought that pistol back to Mississippi that's not outlandish that in our part of the country in
Mississippi in Texas people people shoot we've got shooting ranges here in Oxford
so we deny that it was brought back for the sole purpose of killing Ali was clear to prosecute
Phil's trip to Texas and the computer searches were part of a carefully laid out plan when you put it together would
appear to us what his purpose was in bringing the gun back a gun that apparently he didn't even
know how to use if you sit there and you go through all of his Google searches he
don't even really know how to work a gun he was Googling hollow point ammo and what button does what on a Glock pistol
on Thursday July 18th shortly before two in the morning Ali text these Feld a photo of her stomach
the following day Friday July 19th the day before her death these Feld text Ally are you going to be home today
because I could visit almost two hours later Ali texted him another photo in this message like it
isn't like I'm not that small anymore and I can pretend I'm fat right now but I don't know it's getting hard
after a few more texts from Ali these failed rights just let me know when you are back from going out is your house
private right now the horrifying irony is that text messages from him to her were asking is
it a good environment or your friends going to be there and you could assume that she's thinking he wants to talk
about pregnancy issue and the work on the relationship in his mind he's thinking I don't want
any Witnesses when I get her in the car with me minutes before midnight as security
camera captured Ali walking out of a bar in Oxford Square then around 1 30 in the morning
prosecutors say thiesfeld and Ally take that dark and desolate drive to Sardis Lake
Once you turn off that paved Road onto the dirt road and then another 10 minutes to get to here
there's no one out here I mean this is an abandoned Fish Camp assistant district attorney Mickey Mallett an
investigator Jared bundren took us to the place where it happened where there's now a makeshift Memorial I mean
I can only imagine what was going through her head wasn't she alarmed wasn't she concerned you know in her
mind she may not have had a reason before that to be in the same kind of fear um you know we'll never know but I think
she was just so blinded by her desperation to talk about what to do in their relationship
investigators found cans of white claw hard Seltzer on the picnic table 11 shell casings were discovered on the
ground what did ballistics tell you malicious tell me he was sitting either a cross summer on that side of the table
he fired one shot there was one shell casing here and the other 10 were in that area
coming around the table there was not all in one spot and like started and started coming all the way around he
circled her yes and with every move he was fine I mean even one around hit the table
right there and he just left her here left her here these Feld knew all about that place on
the lake he'd been there his freshman year his attorney told us what thies felt says happened that night he had
been drinking all that day she had been drinking they're listening to music they
start talking Brandon has some cocaine he goes to the truck does a little cocaine inside of the truck goes back to
the picnic table these felt he says goes pistol and fires a shot across the lake
she states all your crazy you sit there and talk then he shoots her remember Ali was shot at least nine
times why it just came out of nowhere I'm not sure out of nowhere Brandon denies that it
was planned when he took her out there I don't think Brandon would have been in this situation but for his choice of
consuming alcohol and then using cocaine she was saying in that moment under the
influence of alcohol and cocaine he snapped that's what I'm saying it was out of Rage out of Rage
and rage for what maybe he thought he was going to be a father and he wanted to end it his own
way [Music] the evidence against Brandon feesfeld according to prosecutors was overwhelming there was a lot of planning
on these fields part about what he was going to do I'm not saying it was smart the way he
did it but pretty good indication that he was looking for a remote location so her body would not be discovered no
doubt in your mind that this was premeditated no no doubt heed of passion no no it was cold and capable it's
calculated over a very extended period of time which is why it was capital murder in Mississippi a capital murder
charge means another felony crime was involved and in this case prosecutors say that crime was kidnapping they
believed thieves Feld lured Ali into his truck under the guise of work in the relationship out when he had a 40
caliber pistol and had planned her murder all along 12's attorney says that theory might be
tough to prove at trial they were going to have to show that we kidnapped Ali she voluntarily gets in the truck
they're going to try to say that we tricked her that's a very very big stretch sentence
trial could be for everyone involved they presented the defense with an offer if you get a plea
offer other than death then guess what you've got a scenario where a plea to a lesser charge of
first-degree murder is certainly more attractive and that's exactly what happened on August 27 2021.
Brandon these fell dressed in an orange jumpsuit pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Ali's family and friends were
there wearing her favorite color pink the judge sentenced Brandon to life in prison reporter Jake Thompson was in the
courtroom we'd ever saw a motion from him until uh The Plea hearing where he spoke or read a little bit he broke down
in tears that was the first time he showed emotion feesfield's audio was muffled when he faced the judge and
addressed the court he said in part quote there is no excuse for my actions I have asked God for forgiveness and I
hope one day that you will find it in your hearts to forgive me Brandon giessville stood up and accepted
responsibility in open court and the realization of the consequences of his actions are very real and sobering there
is no parole for murder in Mississippi so let me tell you that is a terrible penalty why did he say he killed her
there is no justification for his conduct and I believe no good explanation for what he did does he say
why though no I'm just telling you okay to the best of I I mean there there is no good answer I think what has been
explained is he's impaired on alcohol he's drunk he's impaired on cocaine we certainly know what that does to
someone's mind you know was he justified absolutely not were they arguing not to
my knowledge did the allegation of pregnancy going uh on and on and on contribute to that certainly could have
he shared with us that he didn't he didn't know but he didn't believe that she were pregnant but he said he said he
didn't believe she was well he doubted that she was he doubted he doubted that she was pregnant prosecutors say the
home pregnancy test results were inconclusive Ali's autopsy report however was definitive we know medically
she was not pregnant could Ali have been pregnant in the months leading up to her death
according to a text message she sent thiesfeld in early July Ali says she had been bleeding and believed something was
wrong there was some evidence that would have that could indicate she had a miscarriage do you believe she was
pregnant I do [Music] at some point I do to your knowledge was she pregnant you just don't know she could have been
but also the results were inconclusive so we really just aren't sure prosecutors believed what happened
between Ali costell and Brandon thiesveld is a cautionary tale you know I can't imagine
how there could be any way possible that Ali could have known that Brandon thiesfield was capable
of doing what he did to her if she had any idea that this is what this person was capable of
she would never have gotten in that truck I think love can blind us to certain things that other people can see
that we can't Brandon these Fell's family chose not to participate in our broadcast his mother
asked his attorney to share these words when I heard Brandon was being spoken to
by the police I still had no single thought that it could be him now after two 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 costell [Music] Cindy and Keith are holding on to their memories how are you doing it's the the
the quietest moments that are the most haunting she was my life my everything for her friends Ali's love for sunsets
still shines through Ali what are you doing taking a picture for sunsets by Alex so every time we see a sunset or a
pink sunset we're like that's Allie and we just try to live for her and bring her light into the world
[Music] thank you people from every corner of America facing challenges everyone is just
looking for some type of connection just raise your hand and say hey I'd like to
help coming together to find Solutions we are going to do something about it their stories are our stories welcome to
ion America stream on the free CBS News app Mondays at 8 pm

A college student's troubling text messages lead investigators to her killer. "CBS Saturday Morning" co-host Michelle Miller reports for "48 Hours." Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

Brief Summary

Ali Costell was murdered by Brandon Thiesfeld, revealing a complex relationship and troubling evidence leading to his conviction.

Key points

Ali's Vibrant College Life. Ali was bubbly and spirited, thriving in her college life at Ole Miss.
The Tragic Discovery. Ali was found with multiple gunshot wounds, shocking the community.
The Investigation Begins. Investigators find Ali's Apple watch, leading to crucial evidence.
Brandon's Confession Letter. A letter from Brandon suggests guilt and a troubled state of mind.
The Trial and Its Questions. As the trial approaches, questions about the relationship arise.
Brandon's Disturbing Searches. Investigators reveal Brandon's web history included searches on how to commit crimes.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It seemed so personal, yeah.

Describing the nature of the crime.

3:38WatchOct 10, 2023

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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