A 45-year-old Texas cold case has led to an arrest after investigators used preserved DNA evidence and newer genetic testing methods to identify a suspect in the killing of 23-year-old Yolanda Herrera.
Kelly Lee Brower Sr., 68, was arrested Aug. 19 in Cottonwood, Arizona, in connection with Herrera’s 1981 murder, according to the Universal City Police Department. He is facing a capital murder charge and is awaiting extradition to Texas.
Herrera was last seen in the early morning hours of April 11, 1981, after leaving Johnny’s Inn in Universal City. Texas Rangers records say she was walking from the bar at the time.
Two days later, her body was found in a field near the 500 block of East Aviation Drive. An autopsy determined that she died from multiple injuries, and investigators found evidence indicating that she had been sexually assaulted.
For decades, the case remained unsolved despite DNA evidence collected during the original investigation.
DNA Evidence Kept the Case Alive
Investigators preserved biological evidence from Herrera’s autopsy, including material that could potentially be used to identify the person responsible for her death.
In 2021, investigators were able to develop a male DNA profile. The profile did not match anyone in the available databases, leaving detectives without a direct suspect.
Investigators continued working the case and collected additional DNA samples from people they believed might help establish a match. Those efforts did not identify a suspect.
Authorities then turned to forensic genetic genealogy as DNA technology advanced. The remaining evidence was eventually examined by Othram, a laboratory specializing in forensic genetic genealogy and DNA testing.
The new analysis produced investigative leads that ultimately pointed authorities toward Brower. Othram said investigators then conducted a follow-up investigation that identified Brower as a suspect.
Brower Had Lived in Universal City
Investigators determined that Brower had lived in Universal City around the time Herrera was killed. He later moved to Cottonwood, Arizona.
Arizona authorities assisted the Texas investigation, including efforts to obtain a DNA sample from Brower. According to investigators, that sample was compared with evidence preserved from Herrera’s autopsy and produced a match.
Universal City police and Texas Rangers later traveled to Cottonwood to interview Brower. Police said he confessed to killing Herrera.
Brower was subsequently arrested in Cottonwood on a capital murder warrant and is expected to be returned to Bexar County, Texas, to face the charge.
A Case That Stayed Open for Decades
Herrera’s name remained in the Texas Rangers’ cold-case records for decades. Before the recent arrest, the case was still listed among the department’s unsolved homicide investigations in Bexar County.
The arrest has also brought long-awaited answers to Herrera’s family.
Universal City police said investigators recently spoke with her relatives following the breakthrough. After nearly 45 years without knowing who was responsible, the family now has a suspect’s name and an arrest in the case.
The investigation demonstrates how evidence preserved from an unsolved homicide can become useful again as DNA technology develops. In Herrera’s case, investigators were able to revisit evidence collected in 1981 and use newer forensic methods to generate a lead that was not available to detectives at the time.
Brower remains accused in the case, and the criminal proceedings will continue in Texas following his extradition.
