Cold case detectives have arrested a California man who is accused of stabbing 40-year-old Clive Bland to death in San Diego more than three decades ago, according to authorities.
Jeffry Brandenburg’s DNA was linked to the killing through different forensic methods, including the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy, the San Diego Police Department announced in a Friday, March 27, news release.
The break in the case comes more than 32 years after San Diego officers found Bland fatally stabbed in Pacific Beach on January 2, 1994, according to police.
“The investigation led police to a related crime scene on the beach near Tourmaline Surf Park,” police said in the news release. “Despite extensive investigative efforts at the time, the case eventually became cold.”
Brandenburg, 50, of Santa Cruz, was arrested on a homicide charge on Thursday, March 26, in connection with Bland’s death, according to authorities.
It was not immediately clear whether Brandenburg had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
According to police, Bland’s body was discovered on the porch of a home located on Tourmaline Street, KGTV reported.
Investigators learned that he had been stabbed on the beach, according to the TV station.
Following the stabbing, Bland was able to get into his car, which was parked nearby the beach, according to police, The San Diego Union Tribune reported.
Police officers initially told news outlets that Bland began to drive but ultimately crashed into another car before he got out of his vehicle and ended up on the front porch of another person’s home, where he was discovered dead, according to the newspaper.
Brandenburg was 18 years old at the time of the murder, according to Othram, a DNA lab and genetic genealogy company that helped San Diego authorities identify Brandenburg as the suspect in Bland’s death.
“This case is a reminder that every piece of preserved evidence has the potential to unlock long-awaited answers,” the company said in a news release about Brandenburg’s identification.
Brandenburg, who is homeless, was released on his own recognizance on certain conditions following his arrest, KFMB-TV reported.
A judge had denied a request from prosecutors who sought for Brandenburg to be held without bail or on a $2 million bail, according to the TV station.
The San Diego Police Department encourages anyone with information on Bland’s death to call the department’s Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
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