Fort Worth investigators are seeking assistance in solving a decades-old homicide after new technology helped identify the victim. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that the woman found strangled in 1986 is Brenda Darnell McLerran Smith.
Her remains were discovered on February 24, 1986, in the 1300 block of Kuroki Street near Hillside Park. At the time of her death, she was 36 years old. Despite initial efforts by law enforcement, her identity remained unknown for many years.
The case saw progress in 2025 when preserved biological evidence was submitted to Othram, Inc. for forensic genetic genealogy analysis. This process led investigators to her brother, Floyd Ray McLerran.
McLerran informed authorities that his sister had disappeared in the mid-1980s after leaving home to hitchhike toward Dallas. He provided a DNA sample to assist with the investigation.
In late July, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification verified a biological sibling match between the sample and the remains. This confirmation allowed the medical examiner's office to conclusively identify the victim.
