FORT PIERCE, FL – Nearly four decades after a brutal murder shook the community, investigators in St. Lucie County have finally identified the victim of a 1986 cold case. The breakthrough comes thanks to advancements in DNA technology, which have helped solve the mystery surrounding the execution-style killing.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Richard Del Toro and the cold case detective unit, announced the identification of Blaine Louis Brown Jr. as the victim whose body was discovered in a grove southwest of Salvage Road on October 7, 1986. Brown was found bound and shot multiple times.
Detective Paul Taylor, who reopened the investigation in 2019, used new DNA techniques to exhume Brown’s body and collect fresh biological samples. These efforts led to the identification of Brown’s first cousins, eventually pointing investigators to a half-brother. This breakthrough was pivotal for the case, offering a long-awaited sense of closure for Brown’s family.
On the same day Brown’s body was found in St. Lucie County, his family had reported him missing to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. At the time of his disappearance, Brown was the owner of a horse ranch in Ocala, was married, and had two young sons, aged four and seven.
In a poignant revelation, Detective Taylor shared that when he informed Brown’s son of the discovery, the son confessed that he had spent his life not knowing what had happened to his father, believing perhaps he had simply chosen not to return home.
Through interviews with Brown’s family, detectives learned that he might have been involved in narcotics smuggling. However, Sheriff Del Toro emphasized that potential witnesses should not fear coming forward due to past drug-related activities. The statute of limitations has expired on those charges, and the focus remains solely on solving the homicide.
The sheriff’s office urges anyone with information to step forward to help bring additional closure to the family and ensure justice for Brown.