East Texas man arrested for 2008 Grand Prairie murder, held on $1 million bond
NORTH TEXAS – An East Texas man is being held on a $1 million bond after his arrest in Lufkin for the August 2008 murder of a man found dead in a Grand Prairie residence after a structure fire.
Jerry Lee Gardner, 44, of Lufkin, was taken into custody on Oct. 4 and charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Raymond Hernandez.
The murder occurred on Aug. 8, 2008, in the 2600 block of Channing Drive in Grand Prairie.
Authorities said no matches were found when DNA was collected and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in November 2008.
The cold case was reopened in February 2022 when Grand Prairie police cold case detectives partnered with the Texas Rangers to use the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. They conducted forensic genetic genealogical testing on the suspect's DNA through a third-party laboratory, which led to an investigative breakthrough in September. Detectives obtained a DNA sample, confirmed the lead, and arrested Gardner at his residence in Lufkin.
Gardner remains jailed in the Grand Prairie Detention Center.