Genetic Genealogy Solves 40 Year Old Texas Murder Case

DNA Breakthrough Ends Four Decade Search

Bobby Charles Taylor Sr. has been charged with capital murder in the death of 16-year-old Deanna Ogg , nearly 40 years after the teenager was killed in Montgomery County, Texas. Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said the DNA evidence was very conclusive, with a level of confidence described as "one in octillion" .

In September 1986, Ogg, a student at New Caney High School, left her home near Porter and walked about two miles to a convenience store. Just two hours later, children discovered her body in a wooded area about seven miles away, where she had been sexually assaulted, beaten, and stabbed . The sheriff's office had maintained DNA samples from the crime for nearly 40 years .

The DNA evidence breakthrough was made possible when, in 2021, the case became eligible for the Texas Department of Public Safety's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which provides vital investigative funding to help agencies resolve unsolved sexual assaults and sexual-related homicides . Investigators re-examined evidence through a private lab, developing a DNA profile that led them to a relative of the suspect, then narrowed in on Taylor .

Previous Wrongful Conviction Overturned

Roy Criner served 10 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated sexual assault of Ogg in 1990, despite holes in the prosecution's case . In 2000, Criner was pardoned after multiple pieces of evidence were DNA tested again, proving he was not responsible . Authorities had made a previous arrest in the case, but that suspect was exonerated by DNA evidence .

Taylor was four days shy of his 21st birthday when Deanna was murdered . He has prior convictions for burglary, DWI, and assault , establishing a pattern of criminal behavior that preceded the murder by decades.

International Manhunt Brings Suspect Home

The sheriff's office said Taylor was located in Mexico, where he was allegedly fleeing from an unrelated felony. He turned himself in to the FBI in April 2026 and was extradited to Montgomery County earlier this week . After Taylor was identified, investigators learned he was a fugitive in an unrelated felony case and was believed to be hiding in Mexico. The FBI helped locate him, and he turned himself in to FBI agents in Mexico City on April 24 .

Sheriff Doolittle emphasized their commitment to justice: "We find suspects and we hold them accountable. It doesn't matter where they are at in this world, or what they've done, we will find out, we will bring them to justice" . The Texas Rangers, Montgomery County District Attorney's Office and the FBI assisted in the investigation .

Justice Delayed But Not Denied

District Attorney officials emphasized that "there's a reason that there is no statute of limitations for murder" and "it doesn't matter how many pages of the calendar have turned" . In a statement read during the news conference, Ogg's mother described a vibrant teenager who loved music, fashion and her family .

The family expressed compassion for Taylor's relatives, acknowledging that while they have had decades to grieve, another family is now beginning that process. They also thanked investigators for never giving up . This case demonstrates how advances in forensic genetic genealogy continue to solve cold cases that once seemed impossible to crack, offering hope to countless families still seeking answers about their loved ones.