Arrest made in cold case 40 years after teen girl's murder in Montgomery County, authorities say
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 60-year-old Bobby Taylor Sr. was arrested and charged with capital murder and is being held at Montgomery County Jail.
In a press conference on Wednesday, authorities said Taylor Sr. had been identified as the suspect in the case after detectives began re-examining evidence. Through that investigation, a DNA lab was able to provide authorities with details that led them "in the right direction," according to Sheriff Wesley Doolittle.
During the presser, it was also shared that Taylor Sr. was tracked down in Mexico after he reportedly fled before being sentenced for a DWI conviction.
"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," Doolittle said during Wednesday's conference.
RELATED: Arrest made in cold case 40 years after teen girl's murder in Montgomery County, authorities say
New Caney High School student Deanna was last seen leaving her home on Porter Road and walking nearby to a gas station at FM 1314 and Sorters Road in September 1986. MCSO said nearly two hours later, the teen was found beaten, stabbed, and assaulted.
Initially, a suspect by the name of Roy Criner was arrested and convicted of sexual assault in connection to the case and spent a decade in prison before being exonerated.
Taylor Sr., at the time, would've been 20 years old when Deanna was killed. He does have prior convictions for burglary, assault, and driving while intoxicated, according to online court records.
Authorities said he turned himself in to authorities on April 24, 2026, in Mexico on unrelated charges. Montgomery County officials are asking for people who believe they may have been victimized by him to come forward.
His daughters have since claimed to ABC13 that their father is innocent.
"Our family is living through fear, and heartbreak as we see someone we love deeply being portrayed in a way that does not reflect who he is. My father is more than a headline or a suspect-he is a human being, a parent, and someone who has always been there for his family. To see his name and life caught up in this situation is something I would not wish on anyone. Our family knows that when the truth comes out, my father's innocence will be clear," one of the daughters told ABC13.