Kelly Lee Brower Sr., 68, has been arrested and charged in connection with the 1981 murder of 23-year-old Yolanda Herrera in Universal City, Texas, according to police statements reported by People and local station KSAT. Investigators used familial DNA profiling provided by Othram Inc. in 2025 to match evidence from the original crime scene, yielding a confession from the suspect following a police interview in Arizona.
The 1981 Disappearance and Discovery of Yolanda Herrera
Yolanda Herrera was last seen alive early in the morning on April 11, 1981, after leaving Johnny’s Inn, a local bar in Universal City, Texas. Two days later, on April 13, 1981, two school children walking to class discovered her naked body in an agricultural field. According to post-mortem examinations cited by investigators, Herrera died from multiple blunt-force impacts and showed indications of having been sexually assaulted.
Police secured physical evidence from the crime scene immediately, including fingernail scrapings and a semen sample. However, the forensic technology of the early 1980s could not isolate a definitive suspect profile. The case went cold as decades passed without a match in state or federal law enforcement databases.
How Familial DNA and Genetic Genealogy Cracked the Cold Case
Advances in forensic science eventually revived the dormant investigation. In 2021, forensic analysts successfully extracted a complete male DNA profile from the preserved 1981 evidence, according to Universal City Police Department Lieutenant Stephen Rios. While the profile was viable, it yielded no direct hits when run through standard law enforcement DNA databases like CODIS.
The crucial breakthrough arrived in 2025. Investigators partnered with Othram Inc., a private laboratory specializing in forensic genetic genealogy. Analysts used the DNA profile to build family trees, ultimately pointing law enforcement toward Kelly Lee Brower Sr. Records indicated Brower lived in Universal City at the time of the murder before later relocating to Cottonwood, Arizona.
Did you know?
Forensic genetic genealogy combines traditional genealogical research with DNA profiling. By uploading DNA data to public databases, investigators can find distant relatives of an unknown suspect or victim, building family trees to narrow down identities even decades after a crime occurs.
Arrest, Confession, and Extradition to Texas
Following the tip from Othram Inc. in 2025, law enforcement officers in Arizona obtained a fresh DNA swab from Brower. Laboratory analysis confirmed that Brower’s reference sample matched the male DNA recovered from Herrera’s body in 1981.
Confronted with the forensic match, police interviewed Brower, during which he confessed to the killing, according to media reports. Brower, now 68, is currently held in Arizona awaiting extradition back to Texas to face criminal proceedings. “It is entirely surreal to be able to give them this after 45 years,” Universal City Police Corporal Caitlin Brown told People regarding her recent interactions with Herrera’s surviving family members.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Yolanda Herrera killed?
Yolanda Herrera was murdered in April 1981, with her body discovered in a Universal City field on April 13, 1981.
Who is charged with the murder?
Kelly Lee Brower Sr., 68, has been charged with the crime after confessing to police following a DNA match.
How did police solve the 1981 cold case?
Investigators used forensic genetic genealogy provided by Othram Inc. in 2025, which linked the suspect’s family tree to the male DNA profile recovered from the 1981 crime scene.
Where is the suspect currently located?
Brower was located and interviewed in Cottonwood, Arizona, and is currently awaiting extradition to Texas.
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