Mike Case, founder of Case and Associates Properties, Inc., has pledged to match dollar for dollar, every donation made to the Bever Family – First Responders Memorial Garden Fund, up to $20,000. Broken Arrow City Councilor Mike Lester has been fundraising since late February to buy the former Bever family home and turn it over to the City of Broken Arrow. The City would then create a memorial garden in its place.
“This is a most welcome announcement in light of recent circumstances,” said City Councilor Mike Lester. “Case and Associates has been involved with numerous new apartment projects in Broken Arrow, and it’s great to see the company so generously giving back to the community.”
Located at 709 Magnolia Court in Broken Arrow, the house is now the site of a fire investigation. On March 18, a fire broke out at the home, destroying most of the structure. This incident comes just weeks after Lester set up a 501(c)(3) account, through the Tulsa Community Foundation, to begin collecting private donations to buy the former Bever family home. In July 2015, police arrested two brothers, Robert and Michael Bever, after finding the bodies of their parents and three siblings inside the home. Two of the siblings survived and have been placed with a caregiver. The surviving siblings support the decision to turn the property into a memorial garden.
Pending a successful fundraising campaign, the City of Broken Arrow has agreed to accept the property from the Foundation. Once the house is removed, the site will be turned into a park and merged with the existing Indian Springs mini-park bordering the property.
Fannie Mae currently owns the home and has agreed to sell the property to the Foundation for $50,000. The recent fire has not changed the sale price, as the home was self-insured.