Maynard Lefevers, one of five individuals accused of torturing a partially unclothed woman in the backyard of a residence in Austin, Texas, had a peculiar fascination with creating a “bed of nails,” his grandmother disclosed to The Post.
Lefevers, 21, amassed thumbtacks to construct the bed of nails, commonly used in magic performances, as revealed by his paternal grandmother, Frankie Lefevers.
“When we conversed, the only thing he requested from me was thumbtacks to make a bed of nails by himself, which I found odd,” the 64-year-old expressed.
The grandmother, estranged from her family for several years, was stunned to learn of the heinous crimes Maynard was accused of.
“Oh my God!,” Frankie Lefevers exclaimed on Saturday. “I would never expect anything like that from Maynard.”
Frankie Lefevers maintained that her grandson was a decent young man, but criticized his father, describing him as “an a–.”
“Maynard was a really good boy, but his dad was not a good role model. He moved in with his girlfriend and abandoned him,” Lefevers stated, mentioning that her son Frank was incarcerated when Maynard was born and left Maynard’s mother when the boy was around 12 years old.
Maynard last spoke to his grandmother approximately two years ago.
“The last time I saw Maynard was at Lowes two Christmases ago, and I gave him some money,” she recalled. “Just $20.”
“He was not employed. He was mainly at odds with his mom, whom I no longer communicate with,” she added.
“Despite the challenges he faced, I would never anticipate anything like that from Maynard,” she concluded.
Maynard was among five individuals apprehended by Austin police officers on October 30 outside the residence where an injured woman, allegedly handcuffed to a punching bag stand, was discovered.
The victim, found undressed from the waist down, stated that she had been confined in the backyard for weeks and held captive at the residence for months.
She informed authorities that she was once a regular visitor and friend of Michelle Garcia, 51, but at some point, the group turned against her and subjected her to torment, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Austin American-Statesman.
The group allegedly provided the chained-up woman, who had mental health issues, with only one meal a day and shot BB guns at her for amusement.
It remains unclear how long she was held captive or how long she was kept outdoors.
Michelle Garcia, 51, Juan Pablo Castro, 30, Crystal Garcia, 21, Mache Carney, 32, and Maynard Lefevers were all arrested and are currently detained in Travis County jail.
Carney and Michelle Garcia are scheduled to return to court on November 18 and 21, while Crystal Garcia, Castro, and Lefevers are set to appear on December 15.
Mrs. Lefevers expressed her intention to travel to Austin to attend Maynard’s court appearance.
