In a turn of events that speaks to the dogged dedication of law enforcement, a 16-year-old cold case has found resolution in Grand Prairie. The Grand Prairie Police, in collaboration with Texas DPS-Texas Rangers and a third-party laboratory, have cracked a homicide case dating back to 2008 with the arrest of 44-year-old Jerry Lee Gardner for the murder of Raymond Hernandez.

On the evening of August 8, 2008, a fire on the 2600 block of Channing Drive led emergency personnel to the discovery of 45-year-old Raymond Hernandez, deceased in the smoldering remains of a structure. Initially dealt with as a fire incident, the Grand Prairie Fire Department's findings alongside an autopsy revealed a harsher truth - Hernandez had fallen victim to homicide. A DNA profile taken from a potential suspect entered CODIS but yielded no immediate connections.

The breakthrough came after years with the application of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), and a genetic genealogical approach that examined the potential suspect’s DNA anew. According to Grand Prairie Police's social media post, an investigative lead emerged this September, paving the way to Gardner's arrest on October 4, in Lufkin, by a collaborative force of Grand Prairie Police Cold Case Detectives and Texas law enforcement.

Now held at the Grand Prairie Detention Center, Gardner faces a charge of Capital Murder with his bond set at a steep $1,000,000.