Mysterious 1997 murder involving ominous bloody message now solved, Florida cops say
A 28-year-old murder mystery that included a message written in blood has been solved with the help of DNA testing, according to Florida investigators.
Not only has a suspect been arrested, but he also confessed to killing Stephen Edenfield at his Tampa home on Feb. 1, 1997, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 24 news release.
Brandon Gliha’s motive will be revealed during a forthcoming trial, officials said.
“Edenfield was found stabbed and beaten inside his Tampa home, with evidence of a violent struggle but no forced entry. The word ‘Greed’ was also written in blood on his bedroom wall. Despite initial efforts, the case remained unsolved,” the sheriff’s office reported.
“In 2022, the HCSO Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation, utilizing advanced DNA testing. ... In 2024, forensic analysis identified a previously unknown DNA profile, linking the case to an unsolved 2005 sexual assault in Illinois.”
Gliha, 47, was living in Tampa, less than 10 miles from the crime scene, when deputies arrested him on an unrelated warrant out of Illinois, records show.
It was during an interview with cold case investigators that he “confessed to Edenfield’s murder,” the sheriff’s office said.
He was charged Feb. 24 with “murder in the first degree with a weapon (premeditated) and robbery with a deadly weapon less than $750,” officials said.
“For 28 years, Stephen Edenfield’s family has waited for answers,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the news release. “No family should have to endure this kind of pain for so long. While nothing can erase the loss they have suffered, we hope knowing that justice has been served brings them comfort.”
A 2021 sheriff’s office podcast reports Edenfield’s body was discovered by his brother, James Edenfield, during a welfare check.
He arrived to find the apartment unlocked, rooms littered with broken items and his brother in bed with the curtains drawn, officials say.
“He realizes that there’s some blood in the room, on the wall, on the bed, on the sheets,” the podcast reports. “He checks his brother for (a) pulse and he finds out he’s not breathing, and he’s extremely cold.”
One of the neighbors reported hearing an argument in the apartment around 1 a.m., including the sound of furniture breaking, officials said.
A security guard told investigators the victim came home just before midnight and asked that “the guy behind him” also be let through the security gate, according to the podcast.
Investigators have not said if the suspect was that driver.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Mysterious 1997 murder involving ominous bloody message now solved, Florida cops say."