Cold Case Solved After Eight Years

After nearly eight years without answers, the Big Bend Cold Case Task Force has announced a major breakthrough in the 2017 homicide of 38-year-old Kaylyn Van De Wostine with the arrest of Akbar Beale.

Van De Wostine was found deceased on November 3, 2017, in the 2600 block of McArthur Street. Investigators determined she died from a single gunshot wound. Despite extensive early efforts, leads in the case went cold until new forensic technology gave detectives the tools they needed to move forward.

According to reports, in 2019 investigators found blood in Beale’s truck but could not identify whose blood it was at that time “due to an insufficient amount of DNA.”

In June 2025, the task force submitted the DNA evidence for advanced forensic testing, which provided detectives with critical new information and ultimately identified 46-year-old Akbar Beale as the individual responsible for Van De Wostine’s death. Beale was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

The TPD press release stated that “The Big Bend Cold Case Task Force and its partner agencies remain committed to reviewing unsolved cases across the region. Families or individuals with information about unsolved crimes are encouraged to contact investigators or submit tips.”