TARRANT COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE IDENTIFIES UNKNOWN MURDER VICTIM FROM 1986; FORT WORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT REQUESTS PUBLIC’S HELP.

Fort Worth, Texas — July 31, 2026 — The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office (TCME) has identified a previously unidentified woman who was murdered in Fort Worth in 1986. The now-identified victim is Brenda Darnell McLerran (Smith), born February 23, 1950. This identification was achieved through extensive investigation, advanced forensic genetic genealogy, and DNA testing. This remains an unsolved homicide and an active investigation.

Early in the morning on February 24, 1986, the body of an unidentified woman was discovered in the 1300 Block of Kuroki Street, near Hillside Park, she had been strangled. Despite early investigative efforts, her identity remained unknown.

In 2025, advances in forensic technology created an opportunity to move this cold case forward. The TCME submitted the victim’s preserved biological evidence to Othram, Inc. for forensic genetic genealogy analysis.

Genealogical research identified potential relatives. Investigators located Floyd Ray McLerran, the brother of Brenda Darnell McLerran. Mr. McLerran reported that his sister Brenda disappeared in the mid‑1980s after leaving home to hitchhike to Dallas. He voluntarily provided a DNA reference sample.

On July 29, 2026, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) reported that the family reference sample and the victim’s blood sample demonstrated a biological sibling relationship. Based on these findings the TCME conclusively identified the decedent as Brenda Darnell McLerran (Smith).

The TCME extends its gratitude to Othram, UNTCHI, and the Fort Worth Police Department for their collaboration in resolving this decades-old case. This work was supported by funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program, a federal initiative that assists state, local, and tribal agencies in improving the reporting, forensic testing, and identification of missing persons and unidentified human remains.

Anyone with information related to the 1986 homicide of Brenda Darnell McLerran (Smith) is encouraged to contact the Fort Worth Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (817) 392-4330.