The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office recently identified Brenda Darnell McLerran (Smith), who had remained unidentified since she was found murdered in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1986. WIth funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program, preserved biological evidence from the case underwent Forensic Genetic Genealogy analysis. The analysis resulted in the identification of a potential brother who provided a DNA reference sample. Subsequent testing conducted by the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification confirmed a biological sibling relationship, conclusively establishing her identity nearly 40 years after her death.
