Universal City, TX – A murder investigation that remained unsolved for more than four decades has led to an accused suspect who authorities say will be extradited from Arizona to Texas.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, 68-year-old Kelly Lee Brower of Cottonwood, Arizona, is accused of sexually assaulting and beating 23-year-old Yolanda Herrera to death in Universal City more than 40 years ago.
Texas DPS announced Friday that modern forensic testing linked Brower to the 1981 cold case. The agency credited the Texas Rangers and Universal City Police Department with solving the longtime investigation.
Earlier this year, Texas Rangers and Universal City police investigators traveled to Arizona to meet with Brower, according to DPS. Authorities said Brower allegedly confessed to Herrera’s murder following multiple interviews.
The announcement marks a major development in a case dating back roughly 45 years. DPS said Brower will soon be extradited to Texas, where he will face the allegations against him.
Universal City is in Bexar County and part of the San Antonio metropolitan area, giving the decades-old case significance beyond the immediate community as investigators prepare for the next stage of the legal process.
The Texas Department of Public Safety did not provide an exact extradition date in its social media announcement Friday.
The allegations against Brower have not been proven in court. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
