Debbie Collier murder: Slain victim's daughter had boyfriend arrested in 2021 for violating no-contact order
HABERSHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA: A former Georgia MMA fighter, accused of threatening the murdered Debbie Collier, was arrested for a domestic incident a year prior to her death. Collier's naked and charred remains were found in Georgia on September 11. Andrew Giegerich, 27, of Athens, Georgia, had accused his girlfriend Amanda Bearden (Collier's daughter) of stealing money for drugs. He was arrested on September 4, 2021, for violating a no-contact order and banging on Bearden's home.
The arrest came about a year after he allegedly wrote a handwritten message saying, according to New York Post, "If you or your family ever come near me again I will hurt them. Have a nice life you lying a** b**ch. Don't ever contact me again!!!" Neither Bearden nor Giegerich have been listed as suspects in Collier's death.
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The 2021 arrest of Andrew Giegerich
Fox News has obtained bodycam footage from 2021 showing Giegerich being taken into police custody after Bearden, 36, accused him of banging on her door and demanding money. He claimed Bearden stole the money from him to buy drugs. "That's the only reason we have contact," Giegerich told police. "Every week, she takes [$500] or $600 from my check, and I don't know how that's right. She goes and does dope with my money. I've made $30 to $40,000 this year and I'm completely broke because she spent it all on drugs." Notably, Bearden also has a criminal history, including several domestic violence cases.
The boyfriend claimed Bearden "manipulated" him into "linking our cards together so she can send herself money from my card" after he lost his phone, the Daily Mail reported. He accused her of continuously sending herself money. "The first person to touch my money is her," he told police. "[She can] basically do whatever she wants to me, kick me out whenever she wants, basically just do whatever. And it's OK because I'm a man. There's nothing I can do about it other than just let her do it and leave."
During the September 2021 arrest, Giegerich briefly mentioned Collier to police. He said, "I've been arrested before – the last time I got arrested because they falsified whatever, I mean her mom...I don't know what the issue is here. I don't know why I'm so unliked (sic)." He was eventually arrested at the time, and then again in 2022 for violating probation.
The murder of Debbie Collier
A private investigator has claimed the way missing mom Debbie Collier's body was found may reveal important clues about her death. A day before her death, Collier had sent her daughter money, along with a chilling message. Collier sent her daughter Amanda Bearden $2,385 with the message, "They are not going to let me go, love you." Collier disappeared on September 10. According to cops, she told her daughter there was a key to their home underneath a flower pot. Collier's body was found naked in the woods, and she was reportedly grasping a small tree with her hand, a police report seen by The US Sun said. Officials are treating her death as a homicide.
Private investigator Jason Jensen said he believes Collier had not been kidnapped as she was able to transfer money via Venmo. Jensen further said investigators would be looking for signs of a struggle if the message really was a warning that the mom had been kidnapped. He explained someone may have tried to hide DNA evidence considering Collier was found naked and burned.
Bearden, who was “hysterical” at the scene, told detectives Collier had no mental health issues and was not suicidal. Officers in Habersham County have confirmed there is no evidence to suggest she had been kidnapped before her murder. Years before her death, Collier had shared chilling photos of herself with a black eye saying she "face planted" on the sidewalk. Her husband, Steven, said he saw her at around 9 pm on September 9 for the last time. Investigators have yet to confirm how Collier died, and an autopsy has yet to be conducted.
Debbie Collier's son Jeffrey Bearden breaks silence
Collier's son Jeffrey wrote in a Facebook post that this is the "darkest and most harrowing time" for his family. "I have been incredibly hurt and disturbed by some of the reporting and information shared regarding the investigation into my mother’s death. I ask that all attention on the tragic story of my mother’s death remain focused on aiding the police investigation. It is not appropriate to approach myself or my family at their homes or on our personal social media accounts. It is not appropriate to publish speculation about my family. There is no place for the court of public opinion in the pursuit of justice for my mother and this speculation continues to be traumatic and hurtful for my family during the most difficult time we have experienced," he wrote. "I will never be able to fully articulate the loss of my mother and what she meant to me. She was my longest source of love, support, and encouragement. My mother was a very vibrant and strong soul. She was a person who valued kindness, empathy, and understanding throughout her entire life. She went through life recognizing the beauty and grace in everything she saw and experienced around her."
Jeffrey added, "She enjoyed many aspects of life and knew that daily life was filled with joy and beauty. She spent her time enjoying and making art. She valued listening to, dancing, and singing along with her favorite music. My mother consumed herself with the holidays, as her focus remained on family and the value of being together over a home cooked meal. Each year, she would shower her family with thoughtful gifts as gestures to remind you of her constant presence and awareness of your life and your value to her. Most importantly, she always loved, cared, and respected her family. My mother was persistent in her love throughout my entire life and I will persist until she is given the justice she deserves. Our lives have been irrevocably changed. Our grief is here and our pain is deep. Again, that is why I am asking you to please respect our privacy while we learn to cope and adjust with our loss."