Kelly Lee Brower Sr., a 68-year-old man living in Arizona, has been arrested for the 1981 murder of 23-year-old Yolanda Herrera in Universal City, Texas, according to the Universal City Police Department. Investigators solved the 45-year-old cold case by using genetic genealogy and DNA profiling to link Brower to evidence collected from the crime scene decades ago.
Yolanda Herrera was last seen leaving Johnny’s Inn, a bar in Universal City near San Antonio, during the early morning hours of April 11, 1981. Two days later, two children walking to school discovered her body naked and beaten in a field. An autopsy determined she died from multiple blunt-force trauma injuries and had suffered a sexual assault.
Decades of Stalled Evidence and Genetic Genealogy
At the time of the homicide, local investigators recovered physical evidence from the scene, including a semen sample and material collected underneath the victim’s fingernails. Early forensic testing methods could not identify a suspect, causing the case to go cold for decades. A breakthrough occurred in 2021 when police isolated a male DNA profile, though it did not match any records in existing databases.
According to law enforcement, investigators then turned to genetic genealogy to trace family lineages through DNA databases. An initial partial match pointed to the Brower family name, but the available DNA sample was too degraded for further testing. In 2025, the remaining sample was sent to Othram, a private laboratory specializing in forensic genetic genealogy. Experts at Othram directed police toward Kelly Lee Brower, who resided in Universal City in 1981 before later relocating to Cottonwood, Arizona.
Arrest and Extradition to Texas
Following the lead from Othram, Universal City police placed Brower under surveillance and secured a fresh DNA sample. According to the Universal City Police Department, comparison testing confirmed that Brower’s DNA matched the evidence preserved from Herrera’s body in 1981. Detectives from Universal City and Texas Rangers traveled to Arizona to interview the suspect. During questioning, Brower confessed to killing Herrera.
Brower is currently in custody in Arizona awaiting extradition to Texas to face murder charges. Corporal Caitlin Brown met with Herrera’s family following the arrest to share the news. “It’s absolutely surrealist to be able to bring them that after 45 years,” Brown said.
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