Murder of Ally Kostial by Brandon Theesfeld examined on 48 Hours on ID

Brandon Theesfeld mugshot
Brandon Theesfeld was convicted of murdering University of Mississippi student Ally Kostial. Pic credit: Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department 

48 Hours on ID is taking a closer look at the murder of Ally Kostial by Brandon Theesfeld, who she was dating on and off.

On the night of July 19, 2019, surveillance footage showed Kostial leaving a bar in Oxford, Mississippi, then getting a ride from an Uber driver.

Shortly after returning to her apartment, Kostial left again.

The following morning, the 21-year-old University of Mississippi student was found dead.

A deputy with the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department discovered her body near a lake at Buford’s Ridge in Harmontown. 

They also found her purse and 11 shell casings nearby.

An autopsy revealed that she had been shot eight times in the stomach.

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Brandon Theesfeld’s cell phone pinged to cell towers near the crime scene

After Theesfeld’s cell phone placed him at the scene of the crime, investigators called him in for questioning.

Theesfeld, who was also a student at the University of Mississippi, gave his word that he would go to the police station.

Instead, the then-22-year-old left the state.

On the morning of July 22, 2019, police arrested Theesfeld at a gas station in Memphis, Tennessee, after tracking his cell phone and credit card.

He was booked into the Lafayette County Jail, where he was held without bond.

Theesfeld was also suspended from school.

Brandon Theesfeld confessed to the murder of Ally Kostial

On April 12, 2019, Kostial told Theesfeld she might be pregnant. She sent him a photo of an inconclusive pregnancy test two days later.

Theesfeld didn’t want to be a father, and his internet history showed that he looked up abortion clinics and other options to terminate the pregnancy.

Kostial made several attempts to meet up with Theesfeld to discuss the pregnancy. He refused and said he wasn’t changing his mind about being a father.

He did, however, change his mind about meeting up.

On July 17, 2019, Theesfeld sent Kostial a text message. He asked if they could meet up.

Two days later, while Kostial was at the bar, he sent her another text message. He told her to let him know when she returned to her apartment so they could talk.

Video footage captured Theesfeld driving his truck toward Kostial’s apartment at 12:46 a.m. He picked her up and drove 45 minutes to an abandoned fishing camp.

That’s where he fatally shot Kostial with a 40-caliber Glock model 22.

A passerby walking their dog told investigators that they heard gunshots between 2:15 and 2:30 a.m.

Brandon Theesfeld avoided the death penalty

Theesfeld was initially charged with capital murder and was facing the death penalty.

After he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in August 2021, a judge sentenced Theesfeld to life in prison.

When he turns 65, he can petition for a conditional release.

48 Hours on ID airs Sundays at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery.

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