DA and Family React To Norman Man's Guilty Verdict In Girlfriend's Murder

It’s not very often that a murder suspect confesses to a crime, and then pleads guilty so quickly. But that is exactly what happened in this unusual case.

Travis Beadle, 21, plead guilty in Oklahoma County court on Monday, almost a month from the day he confessed to killing his girlfriend Ellaina Pechacek.

In an interview with News 9, Oklahoma County DA David Prater said he accepted Beadle’s plea of guilty in order for him to tell them where he hid the body.

“There's no such thing as closure,” said Prater. “Anyone that's walked down this path knows that.”

Prater said the family agreed for him to approach Beadle with the plea deal to serve life in prison for the information about where her body was, so the family could bury her body and also avoid a painful drawn out trial.

8/19/15 Related Story: Norman Man Pleads Guilty In Girlfriend's Murder

Ellaina Pechacek's family is still grieving her death.

Prater said her body was found along I-40 and Peebly Road back in July, stuffed in a tote covered with a tarp. She had been reported missing weeks before by her family. Her fiance Travis Beadle was arrested in connection with her murder after he confessed to the crime.

“Ellaina's killer will be in prison very likely the rest of his life,” said Prater.

The family sent News 9 this statement:

"We, the family of Ellaina Marie Pechacek, would like to thank the OKC homicide department for their hard work and unfaltering diligence in the investigation, arrest & conviction of Travis Beadle.

We owe a great debt to the people who have come forward with information that proved helpful in aiding the investigation that led to an arrest & conviction. It would have been difficult, if not impossible to achieve closure in this devastating loss without the outstanding response of friends, neighbors and acquaintances who provided many sources of information, helpful suggestions and prayers of support.

Since we first reported her missing, we’ve been contacted by phone, text, email, social media of friends, acquaintances all trying to do the right thing in order to help find out what happened between the days Ellaina disappeared and the time Travis admitted to killing her.

There is simply no justifiable reason for a brutal act which robs a young person of their future. He didn’t just take a life. He robbed a family of every holiday, birthday & family milestone. She will be missed every day, every year for the rest of our lives.

As anyone who has family member that has been reported missing or killed in an act of senseless violence understands that there can be no real justice. Once a life is taken, it cannot be replaced.

He took a child, a sister, a grandchild, a niece, a friend, a co-worker, a classmate, a church member.  This was a family member, a member of the community, a member of the human race.  We are one less now, she can never be replaced. No length of prison sentence or fine or fee will restore what we’ve lost.

While we can never replace the hole left in our lives and in our hearts, we are all grateful to the Oklahoma City Police Department for bringing the guilty to justice and the families of central Oklahoma who have reached out to help us begin to heal.”

“There's no such thing as emotional closure because that hole's always going to be there,” said Prater. “No one can fill the hole that Ellaina left when she was murdered.”

In his pleading, Travis Beadle confessed to using a hammer to kill Ellaina on May 10th. That was Mother's day, and the day Ellaina had talked with her mother about breaking off her engagement.

Prater called the murder senseless.

Beadle will have to serve at least 40 years behind bars.