Bethany Deaton's story
Bethany Deaton, bottom right, the eldest of five children, grew up in a suburb outside Dallas, Texas.
The Storyteller
Bethany's mom, Carol Leidlein describes her daughter as very inquisitive -- she loved to read.
School Days
Bethany, top right, and her four siblings were homeschooled throughout elementary school and high school by her parents, Carol and Eric Leidlein.
Kindred Spirits
Friends since high school, Teryn O'Brien, left, remembers Bethany as being a deeply loving and caring person.
Teryn O'Brien on watching a friend succumb to abuse: "Trust your intuition"
Southwestern University
Bethany and her husband, Tyler Deaton, met during their freshman year at Southwestern University in the fall of 2005.
New Beginnings in Kansas City
After graduating from Southwestern University, Bethany and Tyler Deaton moved with a group of friends to Kansas City, Missouri, to join The International House of Prayer, a Christian missions organization.
The Nurturer
In 2010, Bethany Deaton went back to school and earned her nursing degree. According to mom Carol, Bethany was "the nurturer and looked out for everybody else."
Over the Moon
Bethany and Tyler Deaton got engaged in February 2012.
Dream Come True
After a brief engagement, Bethany and Tyler were married in August 2012.
Death of a Newlywed
Just two months after her wedding, newlywed Bethany Deaton's lifeless body was found in the back of her van on Oct. 30, 2012.
Suicide or Murder?
Detective Penny Cole and Colonel Ben Kenney of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office have been working the case since Bethany's mysterious death in 2012.