Prosecutors said Wednesday afternoon they are dropping the domestic violence case against former Univ. of Texas men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza made the announcement in a statement … saying that after reviewing all of the facts of the case and speaking with the alleged victim, “our office has determined that the felony offense cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
A motion to dismiss the case was formally filed earlier Wednesday, Garza said.
Beard was initially hit with a charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation — family violence … over his alleged role in a heated confrontation with his fiancée, Randi Trew.
According to court docs, Trew said Beard hit, strangled, and bit her during a Dec. 12 argument in Austin, Texas. Police said they saw visible teeth marks and redness on her arm and an abrasion on her face and leg. They also said she had a cut on one of her thumbs.
Trew ultimately walked back the allegations in a public statement …. saying, “Chris has stated that he was acting in self-defense, and I do not refute that.”
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Chris Beard’s Fiancée Says He Didn’t Strangle Her, Apologizes For Accusations
She also added, “I do not believe Chris was trying to intentionally harm me in any way. It was never my intent to have him arrested or prosecuted.”
Despite the retraction, UT fired Beard on Jan. 5.
Beard, who was 29-13 with the Longhorns after coming over from Texas Tech in 2021, was “crushed” by the decision, according to his attorney.
He’s yet to land another coaching gig.