A 43-year-old Grapevine cold case is suddenly back in play after a Tarrant County grand jury indicted 79-year-old Larry Dean Brown in the 1981 strangling of Beverly Bruneau. Bruneau, 35, was found dead in her Grapevine apartment on Feb. 13, 1981, and investigators say new forensic testing recently tied a Colorado man to male DNA recovered from evidence at the scene. Brown was arrested in June in Colorado and is now in the Tarrant County Jail after being brought back to Texas.
According to CBS News Texas, Brown was arrested on June 8 and booked into the Tarrant County Jail after his return from Colorado. A grand jury returned an indictment on June 29, charging him with murder. The indictment alleges Bruneau was strangled, by hand or with an electrical cord, in the midmorning of Feb. 13, 1981, and jail records list Brown as a resident of Loveland, Colorado.
DNA Testing Points Investigators to Colorado
As reported by the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram, evidence from the original investigation, including Bruneau’s blood-stained nightgown, was sent to a University of North Texas lab in December 2010. Technicians developed an unknown male DNA profile that sat in the file while the case remained unsolved.
Grapevine detective Johnson picked the case back up in 2025. Working with Colorado authorities, investigators collected covert swabs from two soda bottles pulled from Brown’s trash. Lab results returned on May 28 found that the DNA profile from those soda bottles could not be excluded as the contributor of the male blood found on the nightgown.
Investigators Outline Motive and Early Interviews
The arrest affidavit, detailed by the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram, says Brown’s wife was Bruneau’s best friend, and the two women shared responsibility for a Dallas mortgage, which investigators say created financial tension in the months leading up to the killing. Detectives also noted a November 1980 fire at the Dallas home as suspected arson and recorded that Brown had a fresh wound to his right thumb when he was first interviewed. "Detective Wilkins described Larry as evasive in his answering of questions," the affidavit states.
Brown’s attorney, Bryan Hoeller, has pushed back, filing a motion asking a judge to reduce Brown’s $2,000,000 bond and arguing that much of the case is circumstantial. An order filed Wednesday denied bail at this time, keeping Brown in custody while the case moves forward.
What Happens Next
Court records indicate Brown has waived objections to extradition following the indictment. His lawyer has said Brown previously served as a Navy pilot and later practiced law in Colorado before retiring.
With murder charges now pending, the case will proceed through Tarrant County courts, where prosecutors must still prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Brown remains presumed innocent under the law. Authorities and reporters say anyone with information about Bruneau’s death is encouraged to contact Grapevine police as the investigation continues.
