Brandon Gliha, 47, has been arrested in connection with the 1997 murder of Stephen Edenfield, nearly 28 years after the crime. On February 1, 1997, Edenfield’s brother, James Edenfield, discovered his sibling’s body in his Tampa home, covered in blood, with the word “greed” written on the wall in blood.
This week, Gliha was taken into custody after the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reopened the cold case in 2022. The arrest was made possible by a breakthrough in forensic analysis, which uncovered a previously unknown DNA sample that linked Gliha to both Edenfield’s murder and an unsolved sexual assault case in Illinois from 2005.
Gliha had initially been arrested on an unrelated forgery warrant in Illinois earlier this month. After obtaining a DNA sample from him, investigators were able to match it to the evidence found at Edenfield’s crime scene.
According to court documents, Gliha told police that he and a man named “Chino” went to Edenfield’s condo, where an argument over payment ensued. Gliha claimed he threw a porcelain statue at Edenfield, who then pushed him, leading to a physical altercation. Gliha said Chino then came up behind Edenfield and stabbed him, but Gliha maintained he did not stab or touch the victim.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that they are not investigating any other suspects at this time. James Edenfield, Stephen’s brother, expressed his shock at the arrest, saying he never expected justice to come after so many years. However, he added, “what goes around comes around,” reflecting on the long wait for answers.
