Family, friends gather to remember Bridgette Gearen

A press conference was held at the Galveston County Sheriff’s sub-station Sunday morning to mark five years since the day Bridgette Gearen, 28,of Orange, was murdered.

To the packed room, family members spoke of the woman they loved dearly. In a show of support they each wore a small pink silk rose pinned to a small piece of paper which said, “Our Angel Bridgette.” As the meeting continued the roses were passed out to everyone.

Tommy Hansen, lead investigator in the case, would begin by stating this day was the same day of the week and also a windy, stormy day. It was very much reminiscent of the day when deputies were called to the scene on Monkhouse Road in Crystal Beach.

Eager to get away from her hectic life, in July 2007 Bridgette and her then two-year-old daughter Kyra went to stay with friends at a rented beach house for the weekend. The group of friends decided to go out for a moonlight drive around midnight. Kyra was left in the care of friends. Bridgette walked out the door and in the brief time her friends followed she was already gone.

Her body was later found by the water about 100 yards away. An autopsy would reveal she was beaten savagely, raped and suffered blunt force trauma as she fought for her life. The cause of death was strangulation.

Detectives have tracked down hundreds of leads since then and feel they have the suspects on their “radar.”

“The persons of interest in this case have become intense suspects,” Hansen said.

He wants to send a message to the suspects, “We are coming and we’re not going to back off.”

During the course of the case, investigators have had to overcome many obstacles, but the pace has started to pick up over the course of the last 18 months, according to Hansen.

He added, the reward money for information on the case had accumulated to $25,000. There are some people he knows who have information on the case who are living on Bolivar Peninsula and he would like them to come forward.

“If anyone even thinks they know something, they need to give us a call,” Hansen said. “They can remain anonymous if they choose.”

Following Hansen’s remarks, the mother of Bridgette Gearen, Pamala Kimball and Kyra, who is now seven years old read from a statement.

“This haunts us every day. We mourn every day,”Kimball said. “If you or someone who knows something and you haven’t come forward with the information, we the family are pleading with you to come forward.”

She read further asking the suspects, “Do you know what her little girl thinks about her mom being taken away?”

Kimball would later add she felt there was “no closure in this case.”

Then all eyes were on Kyra as she read from the pink piece of paper where she had gathered her thoughts too.

“I love my mommy so much and it makes me sad that I could only see her the first two years of my life,” she read. “What really makes me sad is that whenever I talk about her I start crying. If you know anything about my mom’s killers please let the police know.”

The small, blue-eyed girl with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, smiled as she read her last line,”I love my mommy very much.”

Kyra then walked to over to her father and hugged him. He with the help of other family members has been raising her since Bridgette’s death. He gently kissed her forehead for a job well done.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office at 1-866-248-8477

Photo: The daughter of Bridgette Gearen, 7-year-old Kyra, reads a statement telling how much she misses her mother who was murdered in July 2007. Standing beside her is her maternal grandmother Pamala Kinball. Watching the grieving family members is Tommy Hansen, lead detective in the case. RECORD PHOTO: Debby Schamber