ARLINGTON, Texas — The Arlington Police Department and the FBI announced Wednesday detectives have solved a 39-year-old murder case through investigative genetic genealogy, the process of using DNA to build family trees and identify suspects.
On Valentine's Day in 1985, a maintenance worker found 22-year-old UTA student Terri McAdams dead inside her fiancé's apartment. Police say the attacker entered through a sliding glass door the night before, sexually assaulted McAdams, beat her to death, and stole her engagement ring.
Wednesday, police say Bernard Sharp killed McAdams in a "random" attack. About 8 months later, Sharp killed his wife, her friend, and himself. He also critically injured his wife's cousin in the shooting.
"I honestly cannot believe we're standing here today," said Karen Hopper, McAdams's younger sister. "There really are not words sufficient enough to define how this feels."
Hopper and three other relatives attended Wednesday's news conference at the Arlington Police Department headquarters. After nearly four decades of waiting, Hopper said her family had "given up hope" the killer would be identified.
"It's a day we kind of thought might not ever come," she said. "Thanks to these (investigators) and thanks to genetic genealogy - it worked."
McAdams had been baking a Valentine's Day cake for her fiancé, who was out of town on a business trip but would return on Feb. 14. Police retraced McAdams' steps earlier in the day, but their best lead was a boot print left outside the apartment at 2500 Walnut Hill Circle in Arlington.
Police initially interviewed Sharp because he lived in the area and had twice been arrested for sex crimes, but they could not connect him to McAdams' death.
Despite an investigation police called "thorough," they did not make any arrests. Homicide detectives revisited the case several times over the decades, using new forensic science technology to try and identify a suspect.
Wednesday, Arlington homicide detective Devon Coffer praised his predecessors for preserving physical evidence from the crime scene.
In 2021, the department sent DNA evidence for forensic analysis and created a "profile" of the unknown suspect. In 2023, Arlington police partnered with agents in the FBI Dallas Field Office. Those agents found a distant relative to Sharp in their database.
Investigators worked backward and constructed a family tree, leading them to a close relative to Sharp. Detectives traveled out of state to ask that relative for a DNA test. This month, lab results confirmed the DNA at the Arlington crime scene was Sharp's.
"Getting that call - it meant everything in the world," Coffer said.
Police will not press posthumous charges, they said.
For decades, McAdams' case fueled speculation that a serial killer targeted young women in Tarrant County during the early 1980s. Police would not call Sharp a serial killer or serial rapist Wednesday, but vowed to continue investigating whether he is responsible for other unsolved murders.
“Over the years, it would be easy to lose faith and accept that this case might never be solved,” said Arlington Chief of Police Al Jones in a statement. “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.”
FBI Dallas Field Office Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough said in a statement that investigative genetic genealogy is one of the most valuable tools police have access to today.
“It is inspirational to see it work to provide answers to families," Yarbrough said. "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.”
Through tears, Hopper thanked law enforcement for their perseverance. She said she hopes this case will renew hope in other victims' relatives who are still waiting for answers.