For nearly 40 years, the brutal murder of a woman in Arlington remained a cold case. However, thanks to advancements in investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), the Arlington Police Department (APD) and the FBI Dallas Field Office have now identified the killer.
On February 14, 1985, Terri McAdams was discovered severely beaten and deceased inside an apartment in the 2500 block of Walnut Hill Circle in Arlington. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office determined her cause of death as blunt force trauma, with evidence indicating she had been sexually assaulted. The apartment belonged to her fiancé, who was out of town on a business trip and was ruled out as a suspect. Investigators believed the perpetrator entered through a sliding glass door leading to a bedroom.
Despite a thorough investigation, no arrests were made, and the case remained unsolved. Since then, the Arlington Police Homicide Unit has revisited the case multiple times, working to see if advancements in forensics, technology, or other investigative processes may help to solve it. In 2021, DNA from the crime scene was tested, producing a profile for an unknown male suspect. This profile was entered into CODIS, the national DNA database, but yielded no match.
In August 2023, APD requested the FBI Dallas Field Office’s assistance using IGG, a technique that combines crime scene DNA with genealogy research and public records to identify suspects. The FBI agreed to help, and after several months of investigation, a lead pointed to Bernard Sharp as a potential suspect.
On November 3, 1985, nine months after Ms. McAdams’ murder, Bernard Sharp was involved in a double murder-suicide in Arlington. He shot three people, killing two of them, before turning the gun on himself. Because Sharp was deceased, there was no available DNA the IGG team could use for comparison.
Although Sharp's DNA could not be directly compared, investigators identified a close relative, who provided a DNA sample. This sample was analyzed at the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, confirming that Sharp’s DNA matched the suspect’s DNA from the crime scene.
“Over the years, it would be easy to lose faith and accept that this case might never be solved,” said Chief of Police Al Jones. “But Terri’s family never gave up hope and our detectives never wavered. Now, we get to provide answers that this department has wanted to provide for nearly four decades. I cannot say enough good things about our partnerships with our federal agencies. I’m extremely grateful to the FBI Dallas Field Office for working with us on this case. We would not be here today without their support.”
“Investigative genetic genealogy is one of the most valuable tools that law enforcement has access to today,” said FBI Dallas Field Office Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “It is inspirational to see it work to provide answers to families. It’s motivating as a leader to see the dedication of the team that develops and works the leads that are unlocked through research, critical thinking, and investigative techniques.”
