Parents indicted for ‘botched’ job after shootout

Nearly two years after a shootout in a Nederland home shared by parents Cole and Whitney Beck, the former reality TV stars have been indicted on felony child endangerment charges for allegedly letting loose a barrage of bullets without regard for the safety of their 9-year-old child also at the scene of the crime that day.

The Jefferson County Grand Jury indicted the Becks on June 21, with presented evidence garnered following a 2023 witness interview for the 2021 crime.

According to the probable cause affidavit for the couple’s arrest, Nederland Police Department (NPD) officers were dispatched to a disturbance on 23rd Street involving a domestic shootout on Sept. 17, 2021. While on scene, officers spoke with Whitney and Cole Beck, who both advised they had fired guns at each other during the early morning hours, according to police narrative. Officers also reportedly observed multiple bullet holes in the bedroom.

The deadly discharge of weaponry resulted from an incident sparked the prior evening, according to the suspects’ accounts recorded by police, the couple getting into an argument after returning home from a baseball game. At that time, Cole provided his wife, Whitney, with a firearm.

“Whitney said he advised her to shoot herself,” NPD Detective Cody Perkins wrote in his report following speaking to the couple. Perkins said the husband told a different story. “According to Cole, he told her to shoot him due to her stating she would if she had a gun.” Whitney reportedly fired the gun at Cole, who was standing by an interior wall shared with the bedroom of the couple’s 9-year-old son.

Officers discovered two bullet holes in the wall, having traveled through their son’s room, shattering a mirror hanging on the wall, then through the bedroom door of their son’s room, exiting the room. In response to Whitney’s shots, Cole reportedly fired one round back in Whitney’s direction, striking the wall near where she was standing.

While on scene, Whitney stated her son could have been shot in the head. Their son was in his room while she was being interviewed.

“I was sitting right here,” the child began to tell officers, but was cut off by his mother before he could add to his statement. Officers advised that the child spoke to a teacher at his school and stated that his mirror shattered when his parents shot at each other, but also advised that Whitney told him he could not talk about it.

A forensic interview was held, and the child stated he was not at the house. Perkins swore that he believes the victim was coached by Whitney not to talk about what happened.

April 27, Perkins interviewed a witness that had reportedly been at the house during the shooting. According to the witness, the pair was arguing, there were loud noises, the 9-year-old victim ran out of his room yelling that Whitney had killed Cole, and then he observed bullet holes in the room.

Whitney Nicole Beck, 38, is accused of firing bullets into the 9-year-old victim’s room where he was present, endangering the child and recklessly placing him in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.

Cole Lewis Beck, 41, is accused of providing Whitney Beck with the firearm, and placing the 9-year-old victim in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury. Both Becks were officially indicted with the charge of abandonendanger child/criminal negligence, a state jail felony.

Familar faces, the Becks were featured on Season 5, Episode 17, of the popular E! Entertainment reality show “Botched;” and Cole is the owner of Goldleaf Tattoo Studio in Nederland.

In similar, yet unrelated news, a Beaumont mother is facing four counts of abandoning and endangering a child/ criminal negligence, having been indicted June 21 by a Jefferson County grand jury after allegedly placing her four children in imminent danger by instructing them to stand in a public roadway, in the rain, the night of April 15.

According to the probable cause affidavit for the arrest of Shala Edwards, 29, Beaumont Police Department (BPD) officers to reports of a female standing in the roadway in the rain with children.

Dispatch advised officers that the suspect appeared to be having a mental episode, clapping and talking to herself, and upon arrival, BPD Officer Katie Garris observed four children, ages approximately 5,6,7, and 8, in a garage on West Lynwood. The complainant advised Garris that he observed Edwards standing in the rain with the children in the middle of the roadway, speaking incoherently and pointing to where the children needed to stand.

The complainant reportedly gathered the children into his garage, and Edwards commented to him about the weather and hail before she walked away. While speaking with the complainant, Garris observed Edwards walking in the middle of the roadway, nude, with a large comforter draped over her back.

“The weather was extremely bad with heavy rain, and it was very dark in the area,” Garris wrote.

Upon making contact, Edwards continued speaking incoherently and was placed under arrest. She was not in custody, according to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility roster, as of press time.