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Chilling surveillance video shows an Ole Miss student out on the last night of her life before she was killed allegedly by a college classmate.
Alexandria “Ally” Kostial’s body, riddled with multiple gunshot wounds, was discovered in Harmontown, Mississippi, Saturday morning, authorities said. Brandon Theesfeld, 22, was arrested Monday for murder.
Around 11:52 p.m. Friday, the night before her body was found, Kostial was seen on video walking out of Funky’s Bar in Oxford, the Ole Miss college town about 30 miles from Harmontown.
In the video, the 21-year-old walks across a street, down a sidewalk, around a building and out of view.
Several minutes later, a gray rideshare van pulls up to the corner, according to police. Kostial gets into the van, and just before midnight, the van drives off.
The college student appears to be alone the entire time, only seen on video interacting with the rideshare driver and someone at the door of the bar.
Deputies on a routine patrol found her body by a lake the next morning.
Kostial, a St. Louis native studying marketing at Ole Miss’ School of Business Administration, was in Oxford for summer classes, according to her father.
Theesfeld, also student in the School of Business Administration, has since been suspended from the university, according to the school.
Oxford bartender Erin Beadle told ABC News that Theesfeld was a regular who came in several times a week and always tipped well.
“My reaction was I don’t think he did it, just because I knew him, who he was,” she said.
“He’s always been a gentleman, and been sweet, and been kind, and just overall a goofy dude,” Beadle said. “So hearing these things about him makes me scared, to not want to trust anybody you meet … ’cause in Oxford, you know, everybody’s sweet.”
“It makes me more scared as a person, or as a woman, because you never think anything like that would happen in Oxford,” Beadle said. “I don’t want to think someone has the capacity to do that.”
The 22-year-old has not yet entered a plea. His defense attorney, Tony Farese, told ABC News Thursday that he plans to enter a not guilty plea.
Theesfeld’s father told ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA on Tuesday, “I’ve spoken to Brandon. I ask that everyone give him the benefit of the doubt that he is innocent.”
ABC News’ Doug Lantz and Kristyn Caddell contributed to this report.
