Atlanta Police Arrest Suspect in Theft of Beyoncé’s Unreleased Music From Rental SUV

Courtesy Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Atlanta police say the digital paper trail from a July car break-in that snatched five drives of Beyoncé’s unreleased, watermarked music has led to an arrest.

Investigators identified the suspect as Kelvin Lanier Evans, who is now charged with entering an automobile with intent to commit theft in the July 8 case. Police said Evans was taken into custody in Hapeville, just south of Atlanta, and booked into Fulton County Jail; he’d previously been held on a parole violation late last month. The July theft occurred in a parking deck near Krog Street Market in the Inman Park area while Beyoncé’s team was in town for the “Cowboy Carter” shows.

According to an Atlanta Police Department report, the rental SUV used by choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue was left for about an hour. When they returned, a window was broken and two suitcases were gone. Inside, the pair said, were five thumb drives with unreleased and watermarked Beyoncé music, tour-related digital files including footage plans and set lists, two Apple laptops, AirPods Max headphones and other personal items. In a 911 call, Grant told a dispatcher he was carrying “personal, sensitive information” for Beyoncé.

Detectives said device-tracking pings from a stolen laptop and headphones helped map the path of the missing gear. Surveillance video, license-plate reader hits and fingerprints from the SUV rounded out the case, leading investigators to Evans. As of the announcement, police had not said whether the unreleased music or hard drives have been recovered. A representative for Beyoncé has not commented publicly.