1986 Fort Worth cold case murder victim identified through DNA database
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified an unknown murder victim who was killed in Fort Worth in 1986.
The family of Brenda McLerran is now grateful to finally have at least some of their questions answered.
1986 Murder Victim IDed
The location where Brenda McLerran's body was found in 1986.
What we know:
A woman’s body was found near Hillside Park in Fort Worth on the morning of Feb. 24, 1986. She had been strangled to death.
Despite their best efforts through the years, investigators and medical examiners were never able to identify her.
Then in 2025, the Tarrant County ME’s Office submitted the victim’s DNA to Ortham, Inc., a lab near Houston that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy.
The lab got a DNA match for a potential relative of the victim – Floyd McLerran.
Further DNA tests confirmed the relationship and in July 2026, the ME’s office officially identified the woman as Brenda McLerran.
What they're saying:
Floyd McLerran told FOX 4 that he last saw his sister, Brenda, 40 years ago.
She left their home in Brashear, which is near Sulphur Springs in Hopkins County, to hitch hike to Dallas.
"I know she liked to go to bars in the old days. She would hitch hike between Brashear and Dallas, then back home. But she always came back. That last time, she didn't come back. So, dad said he filled out a report of a missing person," he said.
He doesn't know why she would have ended up in Fort Worth.
Floyd McLerran said his sister struggled with mental issues, but was quiet and very nice to whomever she encountered.
He said while it is helpful to know his sister isn't still simply missing, it is difficult to grasp that she was murdered.
He didn't have any photos of his sister to share because he said his parents' home burned down in a fire.
Big picture view:
Funding for the tests on Brenda’s DNA came from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program. That’s a federal initiative that assists state and local agencies on cases with missing persons and unidentified human remains.
The Tarrant County ME’s office also recently identified the victims in two other cold cases, including Jose Francisco Reyes Ortega whose body was also found in 1986 and Ciro Estrada Hernandez whose body was found in 2000.
In those two cases, the ME’s office is still searching for a next of kin.
Tarrant County Medical Examiner seeking next of kin for 1986 murder victim
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office is seeking the public's help in identifying the next of kin for two cold case victims that have recently been identified through fingerprint analysis.
What we don't know:
While family members now know what happened to Brenda, they still don’t know who strangled her or why.
Floyd McLerran said he's hopeful someone knows something and will get in touch with the police.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the Fort Worth Police Department’s homicide unit at 817-392-4330.
The Source: The information in this story comes from a news release from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office and an interview with Floyd McLerran, the victim's brother.