Fort Worth Does Identified

Fort Worth Does Identified

Author: TTC Productions September 26, 2026 Duration: 20:58
During one of the deadliest years in Fort Worth history, two homicide victims were found months apart in very different parts of the city. Neither carried identification, and despite investigative efforts, both remained nameless for decades.

Their cases became part of the long list of unidentified people whose deaths could not be fully investigated without first answering the most basic question: who were they?

Decades later, preserved evidence and advances in forensic technology gave investigators new opportunities to revisit both cases. One would require modern DNA analysis and genealogical research, while the other depended on an unusual method of recovering fingerprints from evidence preserved since the original investigation.

After forty years, both victims finally got their names back. 

This episode examines their original discoveries, the evidence investigators had to work with, the forensic methods that eventually provided answers, and what remains unresolved now that their names are known. It also looks at another recent identification by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office and the continuing effort to locate relatives of people who remained unidentified or unclaimed for years.

If you have information about the 1986 murder of Brenda Darnell McLerran Smith, please contact the Fort Worth Police Cold Case Unit at (817) 392-4307.

If you have any information that might help locate the next of kin of Jose Francisco Reyes Ortega, whose body was found in October of 1986, please contact the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office at (817) 920-5700. If you have information about his murder, please contact the Fort Worth Police Cold Case Unit at the number above.

If you have any information that might help locate the next of kin of Ciro Estrada Hernandez, whose body was found in August of 2000, please contact the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office at (817) 920-5700.

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The stories that haunt a community often linger long after the headlines fade, waiting for someone to listen. Gone Cold-Texas True Crime is a podcast dedicated to those unresolved narratives, focusing specifically on the vast and complex landscape of Texas. Each episode delves into a different mystery, from long-unsolved homicides and disappearances that have left families searching for decades to other enigmatic cases that have stubbornly resisted explanation. The sheer size and diverse history of Texas provide a unique backdrop for these investigations, where details can be as sprawling as the state itself. Produced by TTC Productions, this series approaches each case with a focus on the facts and the human stories at their core, avoiding sensationalism in favor of thoughtful examination. When you listen, you’ll hear a detailed recounting of events, often including what is known about the individuals involved and the investigative paths that were followed, all while considering the questions that remain unanswered. This podcast serves as an audio record for cases that deserve renewed attention, exploring the lingering impact on communities and the hope that new information might still emerge. It’s for those drawn to the intricacies of real-life mysteries and the understanding that some of the most compelling stories are those without an ending.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Gone Cold - Texas True Crime
Podcast Episodes
The Raccoon Bend Massacre [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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On a narrow stretch of School Road in Austin County, Texas, a small turquoise-and-white trailer sat in the middle of the Raccoon Bend oil field, just miles from the Brazos River. It belonged to 86-year-old Will Stetenpoh…
The Killing of Katara Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:35
In August 2004, 21-year-old Katara Deboise Johnson finished her shift as an assistant manager at Taco Bell in Taylor, Texas, and drove home to her mobile home on North Dolan Street. By the following evening, her grandmot…
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In the final installment of the Amber Hagerman series: the Amber Hagerman Taskforce disbands. Detective Jim Ford and Sgt. Mark Simpson follow leads out of state, one that has a connection to Berlin, Germany. Amber’s moth…
Amber Hagerman Part 6: More Bad Men [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:27
In 1999, another abduction rocked North Texas when 6-year-old Opal Jo Jennings was snatched in broad daylight as she played with other children in a field next to her house. The similarities were striking, and police in…
Amber Hagerman Part 5: Bad Men [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:51
The Amber Hagerman Taskforce searched far and wide for suspects. Whether a perpetrator was known, like a Fort Lauderdale, Florida child rapist and killer, or was yet to be apprehended, such as the monster responsible for…
Amber Hagerman Part 4: The Investigation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:07
As the Amber Hagerman Taskforce investigated, they were attempting to leave no stone unturned. Privy to resources not usually readily available to local police jurisdictions, Detectives were utilizing science, mathematic…
Amber Hagerman Part 3: Found [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:52
On the evening of Wednesday, January 17th, 1996, a cold front in North Texas brought in a major thunderstorm system. Arlington, Texas got drenched. At about 11:30 PM, when the rain stopped, a Forest Ridge Apartments resi…
Amber Hagerman Part 2: The Search [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:20
At about 3:18 PM on January 13th, 1996, in east Arlington, Texas, 78-year-old retired machinist and WW2 Veteran Jimmie Kevil dialed 911. He’d just witnessed a man in a pickup truck kidnap a little girl, he told the opera…
Amber Hagerman Part 1: The Abduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:17
When Amber Hagerman was born, her parents’ relationship was still relatively new. In spite of the many challenges her mom Donna faced, particularly after becoming a single mother, Amber and her brother Ricky were happy w…