An 80-year-old man was arrested in July in Colorado in connection with the 1981 murder of Beverly Bruneau, whose death had remained unsolved for over four decades. Larry Brown faces a murder charge related to the death of Bruneau, 35, who was found strangled in her Grapevine apartment.

According to court and police records, Brown was taken into custody on July 14 and later released on a $100,000 bond. Authorities say Bruneau was discovered dead by her boyfriend in February 1981, with a brown electrical cord wrapped multiple times around her neck. The crime scene reportedly showed evidence of a struggle, including blood in various areas of the apartment and bloody finger smudges on the kitchen sink.

Investigators determined that Bruneau died from strangulation after attempting to fight off her assailant, who is believed to have cleaned himself and left the scene afterward. Her boyfriend, who was at work during the time of the murder, was interviewed extensively but was cleared as a suspect.

At the time of the initial investigation, police sought to question Bruneau’s best friend, a former Braniff Airlines stewardess and Brown’s later wife. The friend and Bruneau had been roommates in Dallas, jointly owning a home with a mortgage agreement that held each responsible for the other’s share unless an alternative arrangement was made. After the friend married Brown and the couple relocated to Grapevine, they faced financial difficulties attributed partly to maintaining two households.

Officials allege that this financial strain contributed to tensions between Brown, his wife, and Bruneau, especially as Brown and his wife pressured Bruneau to find a new roommate, sell the shared Dallas home, or release Brown’s wife from the mortgage. Bruneau reportedly refused these requests, leading to disputes.

Following the roommate’s departure from the Dallas residence, two fires occurred on the same night, with the second reportedly reported by Brown. Investigators have considered the fires suspicious and possibly the result of arson.

After the fires, Bruneau moved in with her boyfriend, while Brown handled insurance claims on behalf of his wife and Bruneau. Authorities allege Brown inflated repair estimates through a company he partly owned, seeking larger insurance payouts. Police also contend that Brown pressured Bruneau to sign fraudulent insurance documents and that his wife forged Bruneau’s signature after her death. Witnesses reported arguments between Brown and Bruneau about the insurance proceeds days before the murder.

Brown initially cooperated with investigators but later declined to submit to fingerprinting, polygraph testing, or injury documentation.

The case advanced significantly starting in 2010, when preserved evidence from the crime scene was retested, resulting in a DNA sample linked to an unknown male. In 2026, Grapevine detectives obtained DNA from Brown’s trash in Colorado with assistance from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The sample matched blood found on Bruneau’s clothing, confirming Brown’s involvement according to the affidavit.

The Grapevine Police Department described the case as the result of a lengthy and thorough investigation. Officials reaffirmed their commitment to seek justice irrespective of the time that has elapsed and thanked the community and media for their continued patience. Brown remains in custody facing the murder charge as the case proceeds through the court system.