LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Miss — Brandon Theesfeld has been indicted by a grand jury for capital murder in the shooting death of 21-year-old Kirkwood-native Ally Kostial.
Brandon Theesfeld is charged with murder in the death of Kostial, who was a student at the University of Mississippi.
The indictment accuses Theesfeld of kidnapping Kostial and then later shooting and killing Kostial. Her body was found July 20 near a lake about 30 minutes from her university's campus in Oxford, Mississippi.
Remembering Ally
Friends described Kostial as sweet and genuine and said she always had a smile on her face. Her friends created a GoFundMe to try to raise $150,000 to dedicate the new mind and body studio on campus in her name.
Kostial’s family and friends were in court and all wore pink. According to NBC-Affiliate WMC, Kostial’s cousin read a family statement in court.
Kostial’s family spoke for the first time. Her cousin read a short statement in court.
“Ally’s family is deeply grateful for the prudent work accomplished by the Memphis police, the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, the Lafayette County Coroner’s Office, the Ole Miss community and the many others who worked tirelessly over the past two weeks on this case,” said Kristi Kelley, Kostial’s cousin. “Our hearts go out to all of those touched by Ally’s positive spirit and passion for life who are now feeling sorrow. We pray for strength in the coming days and are thankful for the friends, neighbors, co-workers and many others who have supported us."
Theesfeld will remain in jail for now.
“The investigation, as far as I’m concerned, is still ongoing,” said Ben Creekmore, Mississippi Third District Attorney. “It’s not completed, and hopefully, we will have enough to go ahead and present it to the grand jury next week.”
Theesfeld was also a student at Ole Miss in the School of Business Administration, but has since been suspended from the school. He is originally from Texas.
