LAFAYETTE CO., Miss. – The father of the man accused in an Ole Miss student’s death released a brief statement Tuesday afternoon.
Daniel Theesfeld shared the following statement to reporters,
“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.”
His son, Brandon, has been arrested in connection to St. Louis native Ally Kostial’s murder. She was found dead Saturday morning about 30 miles from Ole Miss’ campus. Police said they were on routine patrol when they found 21-year-old Kostial dead. Her body was found near a lake.
NBC-Affiliate WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi, said a police source told them Kostial was shot eight times.
Theesfeld made an initial court appearance Tuesday morning where his charges were read.
He was a student in the School of Business Administration and has been suspended from Ole Miss, a school spokesperson confirmed.