Home / Crime and Justice / 45-Year Cold Case Cracked by DNA Breakthrough
45-Year Cold Case Cracked by DNA Breakthrough
27 Aug
Summary
- Kelly Lee Brower confessed to the 1981 murder after DNA evidence linked him.
- Yolanda Herrera's body was discovered by children walking to school in 1981.
- Advances in genealogical DNA testing led to the suspect's identification.
A 45-year-old cold case in Texas has reached a significant resolution with the arrest of Kelly Lee Brower in connection with the 1981 murder of Yolanda Herrera. Herrera, 23, was last seen on April 11, 1981, and her body was discovered two days later by children on their way to school. The initial investigation, hampered by limited forensic technology at the time, collected DNA evidence but failed to identify a suspect.
In 2021, advancements in DNA analysis allowed investigators to identify a male DNA profile from the crime scene. Further genealogical testing in 2025, conducted by Othram Inc., pinpointed Kelly Lee Brower as a person of interest. Brower, who lived in Universal City at the time of the murder, had since moved to Cottonwood, Arizona.
Authorities obtained DNA samples from Brower in Arizona, which were then matched to the evidence collected during Herrera's 1981 autopsy. Following the DNA match in October 2025, detectives interviewed Brower, who subsequently confessed to the murder. Brower is now awaiting extradition to Texas to face capital murder charges, bringing a measure of closure to Herrera's family after decades of waiting.
