Brenda Darnell McLerran Smith

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Fort Worth Police Department (TX)

Offense Location:

Fort Worth, Texas

Summary:

Brenda Darnell McLerran Smith, born February 23, 1950, was found lying on a curb in Fort Worth under a brown blanket on February 24, 1986, having been strangled to death. After 40 years of uncertainty, DNA analysis conclusively identified the 1986 murder victim found in Fort Worth as Brenda Darnell McLerran, providing closure to her family. This remains an unsolved homicide and an active investigation.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

In February of 1986, a woman's body was found near the 1300 block of Kuroki Street near Hillside Park in Fort Worth. She had been strangled. She was found lying on a curb in Fort Worth under a brown blanket, clad in only a bra, and had been murdered through manual strangulation. Brenda McLerran disappeared in the mid-1980s after planning to hitchhike to Dallas. She left their home in Brashear, which is near Sulphur Springs in Hopkins County, to hitch hike to Dallas. Floyd McLerran said his sister struggled with mental issues, but was quiet and very nice to whomever she encountered.

Additional Details:

Despite early investigative efforts, investigators were never able to identify her. DNA samples were stored and saved. The woman was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in Arlington. Progress stalled until the mid-2000s, when previously stored evidence was located and submitted for STR DNA analysis. Although DNA profiles were developed, no investigative leads emerged that could provide a tentative identity for comparison. Details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP4476. In July 2025, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office (TCME) submitted evidence belonging to the woman to Othram for advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy. Genealogical research identified members of the McLerran family as potential relatives. A man who investigators believed to be the brother of Jane Doe voluntarily provided a DNA reference sample. A comparison of Floyd's DNA sample against the DNA profile of the woman's demonstrated a biological sibling relationship. Based on these findings and information provided by Floyd McLerran, the woman's brother, the TCME conclusively identified the woman as Brenda Darnell McLerran Smith, born February 23, 1950. 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. Tarrant County investigators took Floyd McLerran to the Serenity Section of Cedar Hill Memorial Park on Mansfield Highway in Arlington to show him the plot where Brenda McLerran is buried in an unmarked grave. He's working to get his long-lost sister a marker, these 40 years later. Brenda Darnell McLerran (Smith) also had a daughter. Investigators are also searching to identify and notify her.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 08, 2026