Naman Shrestha
When Amanda Gordon, a devoted mother of two, disappeared from her Cedar Cove residence in December 2019, it made her loved ones concerned about her well-being and whereabouts. But when the investigators found her remains instead, indicating homicide, a wave of grief took over the family and friends of the victim. The entire case is covered in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘The Missing Cameras’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘See No Evil.’ With the help of the exclusive interviews with 30-year-old Amanda’s loved ones, the episode also touches upon the aftermath of the tragedy.
Burned Remains of Amanda Gordon Were Found in a Ranch
Amanda “Mandi” Gordon was married to Samuel Byrd, with whom she shared a couple of young children. Everything appeared to be going fine in her life until she went missing from her house at 2505 Cypress Lane in Cedar Park, Texas. When her mother noticed that she hadn’t been in touch with her for more than three days, she reported her missing and requested the police conduct a welfare check at her house at 2505 Cypress Lane in Cedar Park, Texas, on December 12, 2019.
Although the authorities could not locate her on the property, they did make some horrific discoveries in two different areas of a ranch in Bastrop County. The investigators found burned human remains, which were later identified as Amanda’s, in a burn pit and a pond, along with some pieces of her jewelry. Upon inspecting the evidence, they concluded that measures were taken to destroy them. On December 17, they also learned that her phone had not been in use since December 10. Thus, according to reports, it was ruled that the murder took place inside her house in Cedar Park on or around December 10, 2019.
Someone Close to Amanda Gordon Killed Her
When the police paid a visit to Amanda’s residence on December 12, 2019, to check on her, they were greeted by her husband, Samuel Byrd, who did not let them inside and talked to them through a window. Since there were concerns over Amanda’s safety, the SWAT team took charge and entered the property, getting the children out safely before conducting their investigation. They came across Samuel’s brother, Josiah Byrd, inside the house, and he claimed that the couple had been using drugs before Samuel passed out, only to wake up and find Amanda dead on the floor. In an unexpected turn of events, the former was also dating another woman, according to his brother.
With the help of cadaver dogs, the investigators were led to a large shed in the property’s backyard. They found blood on the walls, floor, and entryway of the shed, Besides that, they also found traces of blood in the bedroom and bathroom of the house. In order to build a stronger case against the suspect, the detectives even reached out to the other woman Samuel was allegedly dating, Rachel Buckley. Not only did she have his vehicle, but she also testified against him, claiming that he asked her to buy cleaning supplies, including bleach and ammonia, on December 11 and hide a bag in Lago Vista, which contained a spent shell casing, Amanda’s eyeglasses, Amanda’s cell phone, and a handgun.
Amanda Gordon Was Allegedly a Victim of Emotional and Physical Abuse
After claiming that Samuel had admitted to killing Amanda, Josiah also told the police that Samuel had asked him and Rachel to drop by his house and clean up the murder scene on December 12. Not known for putting out trash on the side of the road, Samuel allegedly placed two full trash cans and six loose trash bags on the street on the same day, according to a neighbor. Moreover, as per Amanda’s mother, Samuel had been emotionally, physically, and verbally abusive to her daughter throughout their relationship. It has been reported that the reason Amanda never reported the instances of abuse to the authorities is that he threatened her.
After connecting the dots, the investigators believed that Samuel murdered his 30-year-old wife and the mother of his children and took her body to the property of one of his business associates in Dale, Texas, where they found her remains and evidence. Initially, he was arrested for two drug-related charges. But once they had enough incriminating evidence against him, they charged him with one count of murder of Amanda “Mandy” Gordon and one count of tampering with physical evidence, allowing them to keep him in custody for $750,000.
Samuel Byrd is Incarcerated at a Texas Prison Facility
On November 14, 2022, three years after he was charged with the murder of Amanda Gordon, 35-year-old Samuel R. Byrd pled guilty. Following his plea, he received a 45-year imprisonment sentence for his crimes related to the 2019 death of his wife, Amanda. As of now, the fugitive is serving his sentence behind bars at Mark W. Stiles Unit in Beaumont, Texas. While his parole eligibility date is scheduled for June 2042, his release date is projected to be in December 2064.
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