‘You stole a great man’: Family, friends of murdered veterinarian react to killer’s sentence
A 40-year-old man who pleaded guilty to killing his father-in-law, a well-known Fort Worth veterinarian, was sentenced on Friday to 23 years in prison.
Judge Julie Lugo pronounced sentence on John Birdwell in front of a packed courtroom of about 50 people on Jan. 31. Most of the attendees wore buttons with a photo of Dr. Robert Bearden, affectionately known as “Dr. Bob.”
Bearden, who was 66, died on Aug. 13, 2022, after being assaulted by Birdwell at Woody’s Tavern the previous night, according to police. Birdwell was married to Bearden’s daughter at the time, and the veterinarian was trying to get his son-in-law to sign divorce papers.
Birdwell violently grabbed Bearden, who had been standing with his hands to his side, and head-butted him three times, according to Birdwell’s arrest warrant affidavit. The two men fell, and Bearden was knocked unconscious from his injuries.
“You stole a great man,” Bob Bearden’s wife of 40 years, Cindy Bearden, told Birdwell after the sentencing.
Cindy Bearden said her faith compels her to forgive, but she’ll never be able to forget what Birdwell did and all he took from her.
She spoke of the savageness of the crime and recalled all the anniversaries, birthdays and special events with the grandchildren that Bearden has missed since his death. Her husband wanted to be an organ donor, she said, but because he was the victim of a crime, his body wasn’t able to be released soon enough for organ harvesting to take place.
“The last gift he could have given, you stole,” Cindy Bearden told Birdwell.
Birdwell sat with his eyes averted as Bearden’s family shared how they had been impacted by the murder.
Mark Smits, a friend of Bearden since their college days at Texas A&M, said an entire community was scarred by Dr. Bob’s death.
“I hope you carry the weight of what you’ve done every single day,” Smits told Birdwell.
Birdwell read a formal apology before being led out of the Tarrant County 372nd District courtroom in the custody of law enforcement officers. He said he thinks about “this tragic event every day,” and it makes him sad to think about what’s been taken from Bearden’s family.
“I am truly sorry for my actions,” he said.
Birdwell pleaded guilty to Bearden’s murder in a plea offer he signed last week. A grand jury indicted him on charges of murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault and injury to an elderly person in February 2023. All the charges except murder were waived as part of the offer, according to court documents.
Birdwell will be eligible for parole after he’s served half his sentence, but Smits promised Birdwell that Bearden’s family and friends will resist every attempt to parole him before the full sentence is up.
Donna Rucker told the Star-Telegram that there’s a sense of relief, but Bearden’s family and friends believe Birdwell’s sentence isn’t long enough.
Rucker said her daughter is the same age as Bearden’s son, and the two families have been friends ever since their kids were babies. They’ve gone on countless outings together, including annual trips to Lake Murray every Easter.
On one of their outings they found a dog that had been abandoned, Rucker said. Bearden couldn’t resist taking it home with him.
“Just compassionate,” Rucker said of Bearden’s personality.
Another family friend, Jill McSorley, said Bearden was always there to help. His death was a shock to those who loved him.
“He was taken so suddenly we still feel his presence,” she said.
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 2:23 PM.
