TAMPA, Fla. – In a victory for justice and a testament to persistent detective work, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has solved a 28-year-old cold case murder. Brandon Gliha, 47, has been arrested and charged with the 1997 murder of Stephen Edenfield.
On February 1st, 1997, Edenfield was found dead in his Tampa home, the victim of a brutal stabbing and beating. The scene showed signs of a violent struggle, but there was no forced entry. The word “Greed” was scrawled in blood on the bedroom wall. Despite an initial investigation, the case went cold.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation in 2022, utilizing advancements in DNA technology. Forensic analysis by Othram Labs, funded by a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, identified an unknown DNA profile that linked the murder to a 2005 sexual assault case in Illinois.
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The break in the case came when the suspect in the Illinois case, now living in Tampa, was arrested on an unrelated warrant in February 2025. Hillsborough County investigators interviewed the suspect, Brandon Gliha, who confessed to Edenfield’s murder.
“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.”
Gliha has been charged with Murder in the First Degree with a Weapon (Premeditated) and Robbery with a Deadly Weapon Less than $750.
This case was featured on the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office podcast, “Unfinished Business,” which highlights cold cases and the ongoing efforts to solve them.
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The resolution of this cold case brings closure to a decades-long mystery and demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement to pursuing justice for victims and their families, no matter how much time has passed.
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