A Coors Light Can Helped Crack a 45-Year-Old Texas Murder Case

TEXAS -- A discarded Coors Light can helped Texas investigators make an arrest in a murder case that had gone unsolved for 45 years. And this is one of those stories where you almost can't believe the tiny detail that finally helped investigators get closer to putting everything together.

A 23-Year-Old Texas Woman Disappears in 1981

In April 1981, 23-year-old Yolanda Herrera was last seen walking home from a bar in the Universal City area near San Antonio. Two days later, her body was found in a field in Bexar County. Investigators collected evidence, including DNA from beneath her fingernails, but the case eventually went cold, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Decades Later, DNA Technology Gave Investigators a Name

Decades later, advances in DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy gave investigators a new lead: Kelly Lee Brower, who had lived in Universal City around the time of Herrera's murder and was eventually located in Cottonwood, Arizona.

Then Investigators Found a Coors Light Can in the Trash

And here's an example of how much crime investigation has changed and still blows my mind. While investigating Brower in Arizona, authorities reportedly recovered a discarded Coors Light can from his trash. DNA from the can was tested and reportedly matched the DNA profile developed from evidence collected from beneath Herrera's fingernails, reports the Independent.

A 45-Year-Old Murder Case Finally Leads to an Arrest

Brower, now 68, was arrested on August 19, 2026, and faces a capital murder charge in Texas. Texas DPS says Brower also confessed to Herrera's murder during interviews with investigators. Forty-five years later, something as ordinary as a discarded beer can helped investigators finally make an arrest. And that is pretty remarkable.

Read More: DNA Breakthrough Solves 1987 East Texas Cold Case