A bottle of BBQ sauce just led police to a suspect, 79, in the 1981 murder of a flight attendant

A 79-year-old Colorado man has been arrested in a decades-old Texas cold case after investigators matched DNA from barbecue sauce and soda bottles in his trash to evidence collected from the murder scene.

Larry Dean Brown was arrested in Colorado on June 8 and later booked into the Tarrant County Jail on a murder charge, the Grapevine Police Department annouced in a news release Thursday. He is accused of killing 35-year-old Braniff Airlines flight attendant Beverly Bruneau, who was found strangled in her Grapevine apartment on Feb. 13, 1981, after a financial dispute.

Investigators allege DNA recovered from Brown’s trash this year matched blood found on Bruneau’s clothing that had been preserved for decades. The DNA evidence was previously tested in 2010, but the profile from an unknown man did not match anyone in law enforcement databases at the time.

Brown was questioned shortly after Bruneau’s death because of his connection to the victim, but was not arrested for more than 45 years. Investigators say he knew Bruneau through his wife, Thelma Brown, who was one of Bruneau’s best friends.

The two women worked together as flight attendants for Braniff, were previously roommates and also jointly owned a Dallas home.

Police say the relationship between Brown and Bruneau became strained over financial issues involving that property. After marrying Thelma, Brown became involved in disputes surrounding the home, and investigators say the couple wanted Bruneau to either find a new roommate, sell the property or release Thelma from her financial obligations.

After Bruneau refused the Browns’ requests, tensions reportedly grew. While she was out of town, the Dallas home was damaged by two fires, the second of which investigators believe was arson.

Authorities allege Brown later pressured Bruneau to sign insurance documents with inflated repair estimates that could have benefited his construction company. Bruneau refused, investigators said.

Family members told police that Bruneau described a confrontation with Brown over the insurance claim shortly before her death and said she was afraid of him.

When police first investigated the killing in 1981, they noted Brown had a fresh injury on his thumb and said some of his answers raised questions. However, he was never charged, and the case went cold for decades.

Grapevine police reopened the investigation in 2025, revisiting the financial dispute and reexamining preserved evidence with newer forensic technology. In February 2026, investigators collected Brown’s discarded trash in Colorado, including soda bottles and a barbecue sauce bottle, leading to the DNA match that ultimately resulted in his arrest.