Celeste Beard Johnson, Who Killed Her Husband, Says He Moved Her In Days After Former Wife’s Burial

What happens when your own spouse turns into your biggest enemy? Something similar happened to Steven Beard, a former TV executive and multi-millionaire, when his wife’s cruel plans led to his demise in 2000. Steven’s wife, Celeste Beard Johnson, planned her husband’s brutal murder and almost walked away unscathed. However, now, after being in prison for decades, she has made some shocking revelations, and they’re not what you would have expected.

Steven Beard moved Celeste Beard Johnson into his home 10 days after burying his late wife

Celeste Beard Johnson will soon be seen talking to David Scott in Interview with a Killer. During the conversation, Celeste will share her biggest regret. The now 63-year-old Celeste was convicted in 2003 for the murder of her millionaire husband, Steven Beard, 74 at the time, who within months after he was shot in his bedroom in October 1999. The couple had an almost four-decade age gap, and Celeste admitted that she married Steven for his money.

The couple met at the Austin Country Club, where he was a member, and Celeste was a waitress. For the unversed, Steven Beard was a recent widower who moved Celeste Beard Johnson into his home 10 days after burying his previous wife. During the conversation, Celeste revealed that Steven married her because of her looks. However, she also alleged that it didn’t mean that she didn’t love him. She was quoted as saying:

“He married me because I was a trophy wife. That doesn’t mean I didn’t fall in love with him.”

image credit: Nancy Hall

Celeste Beard Johnson reflected on their relationship

In the same conversation, Celeste revealed that she had accepted Steven’s flaws and he had accepted her for who she was. She recalled, “I accepted his drinking. We accepted each other’s idiosyncrasies.” However, their growing acceptance of each other soon led to something that took Steven’s life. The millionaire had the money, and Celeste had the willingness to spend it. In 1997, he had placed USD 500,000 into a trust for his wife; the money was gone within six months. “I flew all over the country furnishing the house,” Johnson told Scott. She also maintained that a USD 35,000 allowance was for “maintenance of the house.”

Celeste had a money problem, and it was soon evident in the findings during her husband’s death case as well. Investigators said that even as her husband lay in the hospital with a gunshot wound, Celeste Beard Johnson continued to spend his money. “What’s so hard to understand?” she told David Scott when he began to press her about her behaviour. “I spent USD 26,000 on handrails. Everything was for the house. What’s so hard to understand? Who cares?”

Celeste Beard Johnson claimed Tracey Tarlton was “enamoured” with her

In the same conversation, Celeste further mentioned how she spent some time at the mental hospitals during the course of her marriage. For the unversed, it was at one of those treatment centres where she met Tracey Tarlton, who would become her alleged lover. In her interview with Scott, Celeste denied having any romantic relationship with Tarlton. She was quoted as saying:

“It became obvious after a while that Tracey became enamoured with me. She didn’t tell me why she was really in the treatment centre. She was a big fat liar. I thought she was in there for the same issues as me.”

After her arrest, Tracey Tarlton didn’t initially turn on Celeste. However, once the latter tied the knot, she got candid about her involvement in the plot to kill Steven Beard. In response, Celeste attempted to hire a hit man, paying a woman named Donna Goodson more than USD 10,000. While Celeste admitted to paying Donna, she denied any nefarious purpose to the payments. “I paid her to be my friend, and then she turned around and said that it was to hire a hit man.”

image credit: David Scott/YT

What are your thoughts on Celeste Beard Johnson’s revelations? Let us know.

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