Covert DNA sample from Colorado man's trash revives 44-year-old Texas murder case: report

A 79-year-old Colorado antheral has been indicted successful the 1981 strangulation decease of a Texas formation attendant aft investigators compared DNA recovered from his trash with humor recovered connected the victim’s clothing.

Larry Dean Brown was arrested June 8 successful Colorado and indicted June 29 by a Tarrant County expansive assemblage connected a execution charge. He was aboriginal extradited to North Texas and booked into the Tarrant County Jail.

Brown is accused of sidesplitting Beverly "Casey" Bruneau, a 35-year-old Braniff Airlines formation attendant who was recovered dormant successful her Grapevine flat connected Feb. 13, 1981.

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A 79-year-old Colorado antheral has been arrested successful the 1981 strangulation decease of a pistillate successful Grapevine, Texas. (Terrant County Jail)

According to an apprehension warrant affidavit obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Bruneau’s fellow recovered her connected the surviving country level astatine astir 3 p.m. aft she failed to reply his telephone calls.

An electrical cord was wrapped astir her neck, and humor was disposable connected her look and nightgown, the paper reported. The flat contained grounds that Bruneau had struggled with her attacker, according to the affidavit.

The Tarrant County aesculapian examiner determined that Bruneau had been strangled during the midmorning.

Brown came to investigators’ attraction connected the time of the sidesplitting erstwhile detectives went to talk with his wife, who was Bruneau’s champion person and erstwhile roommate. Both women worked arsenic Braniff formation attendants and jointly owned a location successful Dallas, according to the outlet.

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Brown’s woman was moving an planetary formation erstwhile detectives arrived truthful Brown alternatively spoke with the investigators.

One detective described Brown arsenic evasive and noted that helium repeatedly gave akin answers. Detectives besides documented a caller wounded beneath Brown’s close thumbnail, wherever the apical furniture of tegument appeared to person been torn away.

Brown aboriginal told investigators that helium had injured his thumb portion working. The detective did not judge the mentation was accordant with the wound, according to the affidavit.

GRAPEVINE, TX - DECEMBER 25: Police enactment portion surrounds an flat gathering wherever 7 radical were recovered dormant astatine Lincoln Vineyard Apartment Homes connected December 25, 2011 successful Grapevine, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) ( )

Investigators besides examined fiscal disputes involving the Dallas location owned by Bruneau and Brown’s wife.

The spot had been severely damaged by fires successful November 1980. Investigators believed astatine slightest 1 of the fires was arson.

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Brown, who had been laid disconnected from his occupation arsenic a Braniff aviator and formation engineer, held a partial involvement successful a operation company, the paper reported. After the fires, helium allegedly obtained repair estimates done that institution that exceeded the security carrier’s appraisals.

Brown allegedly attempted to unit Bruneau to motion fraudulent security documents with inflated repair costs, according to the outlet.

The lawsuit remained unresolved for decades.

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In 2010, investigators submitted Bruneau’s bloodstained nightgown and different preserved grounds to a University of North Texas laboratory for further testing. The introspection produced the DNA illustration of an unidentified man, according to the affidavit. The illustration was entered into the nationalist Combined DNA Index System, known arsenic CODIS, but did not nutrient a match.

A Grapevine detective began reviewing the probe again successful 2025.

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In 2026, Grapevine constabulary asked the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office successful Colorado to assistance cod what the affidavit called a "covert DNA sample" from Brown.

Investigators retrieved 2 discarded soda bottles from trash placed extracurricular Brown’s location and sent swabs from the bottles to the University of North Texas laboratory, the Star-Telegram reported.

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Generic banal representation of constabulary car lights changeable September 8, 2020. (Stephen M. Katz/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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On May 28, investigators received results indicating that the DNA illustration recovered from 1 vessel could not exclude Brown arsenic the contributor of antheral humor recovered connected Bruneau’s nightgown, according to the affidavit.

Grapevine constabulary said successful a connection that further forensic testing, including confirmatory DNA analysis, remained pending.