In 1981 when Brenda Gerow’s body was found in the Pima County desert, it would remain a “Jane Doe” for 34 years. Unfortunately, forensic evidence in the early 1980s wasn’t anywhere near as advanced as it is today. According to Forensics Colleges, DNA matching wasn’t even around until the mid-1980s. This left thousands of cases, including Brenda’s, with a lot of dead-end leads and a lack of evidence.
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Brenda’s body was exhumed and identified, and her remains were returned to her family after more than three decades since they last saw her. Though Kalhauser was not formally charged with Brenda’s murder, he was charged for the murder of his wife, whose body has never been located, according to Tucson Citizen.
These days, forensics has come a long way, including the ever-growing Rapid DNA analysis program that holds and maintains a database of DNA created by law enforcement when a person is arrested and booked, according to the FBI. In the 1980s, men like Kalhauser had an easier time disappearing with just a simple name change. Unfortunately, while Brenda Gerow’s family can now stop wondering what happened to her — her killer has yet to be brought to justice for taking her life.
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