Brandon Theesfeld, has been arrested and charged for the murder of 21-year-old Ole Miss student Ally Kostial. Theesfeld, 22, was also a student at the University of Mississippi at the time he allegedly carried out the murder before her body was found near a lake, according to WMC-5.
According to law enforcement officials, Kostial was shot eight times. There is no word on any prior relationship between the two students prior to the murder.
While Theesfeld is facing murder charges, his father issued a statement saying that he believes his son is innocent.
“I know my son is innocent,” his father said. “And I have reasons to believe that I can’t share anything now. But I would ask everybody to please give him the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.”
Theesfeld is currently being held by the Memphis Police Department without bond.
Kostial was studying marketing at the Ole Miss School of Business Administration. She was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity.
“Ally was a valued member of our campus community,” University of Mississippi interim Chancellor Larry Sparks said in a statement of his known after her body was found dead. “We extend our deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and classmates and stand ready to support them during this time.”
Her father addressed her death in a heartbreaking post on Facebook writing: “Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, we were visited by the Sunset Hills MO Police who communicated to us that our beautiful dear Alexandria (Ally) Kostial was the victim of a homicide. As of now, it is believed the crime happened in Lafayette County, MS. She had been attending summer school and teaching fitness classes at University of Mississippi, (Ole Miss) in Oxford, Mississippi.”
Our deepest condolences go out to Kostial’s family and friends during this difficult time.
