A man was arrested and charged with capital murder for the death of a woman in 1981.
Kelly Lee Brower, 68, of Cottonwood, Arizona, was arrested on August 29, 2026, in connection with the 1981 killing of Yolanda Herrera in Universal City.
According to the complaint, Herrera, 23, was last seen leaving Johnny’s Inn in Schertz early on April 11, 1981. Her naked body was discovered two days later in a field near East Aviation Boulevard.
An autopsy revealed she died of multiple blunt-force injuries, and police suspected she had been sexually assaulted.
According to the affidavit, contemporary DNA and forensic genealogy studies revealed Brower as a suspect. In 2025, investigators discovered a discarded Coors Light can in Herrera’s Arizona home; DNA from the can allegedly matched DNA found under Herrera’s fingernails, with a stated random-match chance of at least 1 in 31 billion. The document also states that DNA could not be removed from the sexual-assault kit sample.
Upon questioning, Brower admitted to living in the San Antonio area between 1980 and 1981, but initially denied knowing Herrera and declined a voluntary DNA sample.
According to the affidavit, Brower attempted suicide after telling his family that he was concerned about a Texas DNA case.
During an August 18 interview in an Arizona hospital’s intensive care unit, Brower allegedly stated that his “higher self” told him he killed Herrera, admitted having sex with her, used his hands, and apologized to Herrera and her family.
Kelly Lee Brower was eventually apprehended after recovering and extradited to the Bexar County Jail, where he remains in detention with a bond of $1,000,000.
Leave a Reply