A 44-year-old has been detained in connection with the 2008 murder of a North Texas man, according to authorities. Jerry Lee Gardner was detained in Lufkin, East Texas, on October 4, according to a Grand Prairie police press release dated October 16.
He is facing a capital murder charge. Gardner is accused of killing Raymond Hernandez, 45, in August 2008. Hernandez’s body was discovered by Grand Prairie firemen while responding to a fire in the 2600 block of Channing Drive. According to the announcement, an autopsy determined that Hernandez was a homicide victim.
The investigation fell cold after investigators were unable to locate a match for the DNA recovered at the scene. Police added that in February 2022, investigators worked with the Texas Rangers to implement the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
Investigators hired a third-party laboratory to perform forensic genetic genealogy testing on the suspect’s DNA. They discovered a lead in September, which they were able to corroborate with a DNA sample, according to the announcement.
Gardner is being jailed at the Grand Prairie Detention Center under a $1 million bond.
Reference:
44-year-old arrested on capital murder charge in North Texas cold case from 2008, police say