After nearly three decades, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has solved the 1997 cold case murder of Stephen Edenfield, thanks to advancements in DNA technology and a confession from the suspect, 47-year-old Brandon Gliha.
On February 1, 1997, Edenfield was found stabbed and beaten to death in his Tampa home. The word “Greed” was written in blood on his bedroom wall. Despite initial investigations, the case went cold.
In 2022, the HCSO Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation and utilized advanced DNA testing through Othram Labs and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In 2024, a previously unknown DNA profile was identified, linking the case to an unsolved 2005 sexual assault in Illinois.
Gliha, who was living in Tampa, was arrested on an unrelated warrant from Illinois in February 2025. During an interview with HCSO Cold Case investigators, Gliha confessed to Edenfield’s murder.
On February 24, 2025, Gliha was charged with First-Degree Murder with a Weapon (Premeditated) and Robbery with a Deadly Weapon (Less than $750).
“For 28 years, Stephen Edenfield’s family has waited for answers. Today, we can finally give them some measure of peace,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “No family should have to endure this kind of pain for so long. While nothing can erase the loss they have suffered, we hope knowing that justice has been served brings them comfort.”
The HCSO Public Affairs Office featured this case on their podcast, Unfinished Business:
This is an ongoing investigation.
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