Maria Murray was found dead May 10 in a vacant East Oak Cliff home that later caught fire.
DALLAS, Texas — Weeks after Maria Murray’s body was found in a freezer at an abandoned East Oak Cliff home, Dallas police say a 51-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder in her death.
The arrest of Kendrick Brown marks a major step in a case that began May 10, when officers were called to a vacant house in the 1400 block of Georgia Avenue. Murray, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her death was investigated as a homicide while relatives and neighbors waited for answers.
Murray’s family had gone to the scene after her body was found. One relative told reporters that someone in the area knew what happened. Another family member described Murray as having a “good spirit.” At the time, police had not named a suspect and had asked for information from the public.
Court records released after Brown’s arrest say he and Murray were in a relationship. Investigators said a witness reported frequent violent arguments between the two. The witness told detectives that he saw Murray on the floor of a closet inside the master bedroom three days before police found her body. He said Brown then yelled at him and closed the bedroom door.
Police said officers found Murray inside a freezer in that same master bedroom. The medical examiner later ruled that she died from multiple stab wounds, including a wound above her right eye that went into her brain. Detectives reported blood on the bedroom carpet and walls and said they recovered a large military-style knife hidden behind drywall in the living room.
The affidavit says Brown denied knowing about the freezer or the bedroom. Investigators said cellphone videos showed he had been in the room many times and showed arguments between him and Murray. The witness, who spoke to detectives with an American Sign Language interpreter, said Brown did not allow him back into the room after he saw Murray on the floor.
The house where Murray was found is near the Illinois Avenue DART Station. Neighbors said the vacant property had drawn concerns because people often came and went. Later on the same day Murray’s body was found, fire crews responded to a fire at the house. Officials have not said whether that fire is tied to the homicide investigation.
Brown remained jailed on a $250,000 bond. Prosecutors are expected to use the autopsy findings, witness account, cellphone videos and evidence from the house as the case proceeds in Dallas County court.
Author note: Last updated June 23, 2026.