Dallas, Texas — A 27-year-old woman was found frozen solid inside a running freezer in the master bedroom of an abandoned East Oak Cliff home, and the man police say put her there was her own boyfriend.
Kendrick Brown, 51, was arrested on June 18 and charged with murder in connection with the death of Mariah Murray, whose body was discovered on May 10 after neighbors reported suspicious activity at the vacant property. Witnesses told investigators they had frequently seen people entering and leaving the abandoned home and had observed Murray and Brown engaged in multiple heated arguments inside.
When officers arrived, they found Murray’s body frozen solid inside a still-running freezer. The freezer, along with Murray’s remains, was transported directly to the medical examiner’s office. Once her body was thawed, the examination revealed she had suffered multiple stab wounds. One wound to her head was severe enough to penetrate her brain.
Inside the master bedroom, investigators documented blood on both the carpet and walls. A military-style knife was later recovered, wrapped in cloth and a towel and concealed behind the drywall.
Neighborhood surveillance footage allegedly captured Brown walking in the area carrying a similar-looking knife. When questioned, Brown admitted to being inside the home but denied ever entering the master bedroom. That claim quickly unraveled when investigators searched his cellphone and a tablet, uncovering videos of him and Murray together in that same room.
A witness provided perhaps the most chilling detail to police — stating that three days before Murray’s body was discovered, he observed her lying on the floor of the closet just inside the master bedroom. According to the affidavit, Brown spotted the witness, yelled at him and immediately shut the bedroom door.
Brown is currently held in Dallas County Jail on a $250,000 bond. His next court date has not yet been announced.
