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Long Island resident Becky Koster's 2009 murder was allegedly an accident or so murderer Evans Ganthier wanted the world to believe, stated the police investigating the case. Koster, 24, disappeared after a wild night out with her friends and boyfriend at a local bar, where she was seen interacting with a stranger (Ganthier). The next day, she was nowhere to be found.
Trigger warning: This article contains information about graphic violence.
No one knew what transpired during the early morning hours after the night of December 3, 2009, when Koster was dropped off at her Medford residence by her boyfriend Dan Mayor, 28, and two other female friends. Her mother, Barbara, stated that she spoke to the Mayor the following day when she couldn't get a hold of her 24-year-old daughter, who told her that they saw Becky enter the house.
Days later, when a mutilated and burned corpse was found, the missing person's case took a tragic turn and Becky Koster's family and friends saw their worst nightmares come to life. Now that Lifetime's #TextMeWhenYouGetHome is officially releasing an episode dedicated to the gruesome murder of the home health care aide, here are five chilling facts that one must know about the case.
Five chilling facts about Becky Koster's Long Island murder case
1) Surveillance video showed Becky talking to a mystery man
Surveillance video from the night of December 3, 2009, showed Becky Koster being approached by a man while she was getting drinks at the bar. The mystery man was later identified as Evans Ganthier, 33, who allegedly murdered Koster and mutilated her body to prevent identification. The victim's best friend, Nicole Longo, who was present at the scene that night, stated that the two were,
"Exchanging numbers and, putting his number in her phone."
2) Ganthier contacted Becky an hour after she left the bar
Reports state that the cell phone data retrieved from Becky's mobile showed that she received two calls from an unknown number that night, about an hour after she was dropped home by her boyfriend and friends. The number was soon traced back to 33-year-old Ganthier, who denied having anything to do with Becky or the murder.
3) Becky's mother Barbara received tormenting texts from her daughter's phone
Around three days after Becky Koster's disappearance, her mother received a text from her phone, which made them believe that her boyfriend Dan may have had something to do with her disappearance. Speaking about the text, Barbara said that it stated,
"That Dan has her. She doesn't know where she is. She needs help. Right away I panicked, I called her back. 'Dial 911.'"
The victim's family and friends who had been anxiously scavenging for her saw a ray of sunshine when they received a text. But they soon discovered that it was nothing more than a sham and an attempt to mislead those investigating the case. The killer wanted to frame Dan for the murder, but authorities knew more than to believe what was written in those texts.
Barbara, after saying that she received another text a few hours later, added:
"It said Dan had her tied up in a basement. 'Don't tell Dan or he'll kill me.'"
Although they clung to tiny strands of hope, their world was soon about to come crashing down.
4) Koster's body had been mutilated and burned beyond recognition
Initially, authorities did not know that the charred body found in a field in North Stonington, Connecticut, was that of Becky Koster, the 24-year-old missing woman they had been searching for. Police claimed that the victim's hair, toes, fingertips, and face had been completely cut off to a point where it was almost impossible to identify the person. However, dental records proved to be quite helpful in the case.
Moreover, Ganthier confessed that he had to cut off certain parts of her body to prevent identification. He said that he panicked and thought it was the only way to get out of the messy situation. The man said Becky tripped and fell on some dumbbells and died in his house garage.
5) Becky Koster was stabbed to death by Evans Ganthier
Authorities refused to believe Ganthier's confession. They had every reason to believe that the 33-year-old had allegedly stabbed Becky Koster to death in his car, as per the evidence and forensic reports. Newsweek reporter Andrew Smith stated:
"Investigators believe Rebecca was murdered in his car. Simply because of the amount of blood in his car and where it was found. There was blood pooled sort of beneath the seat near the center console."
He was found guilty of second-degree murder in 2013 and was sent to prison for a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Watch #TextMeWhenYouGetHome on Lifetime to revisit the gruesome murder of Becky Koster in its Season 1 episode 8, set to air on Monday, August 1, 2022, at 9 pm ET.
