Man Confesses to Florida Blood-on-the-Wall Murder Case

In 1997, James Edenfield found his brother Stephen's lifeless body in his apartment next to a bloody message written on the wall. Now, 28 years later, police have made an arrest.

'Calls for Help'

The night before Stephen Edenfield was found dead, he went out twice, Dan Bendig, a cold case investigator with the sheriff's office, said on the "Unfinished Business" podcast, according to CBS News. First, he had dinner with his brother and sister. Then, before midnight, he left the complex again and returned around 12:50 a.m. on Feb. 1. Stephen briefly talked to a security guard because he had forgotten his remote to get into the complex, Bendig said. He told the guard that the driver of the car behind him was with him, too. The security guard let both cars in, but didn't get a good look at the driver of the second car, Bendig added. Bendig said on the podcast that neighbors began hearing "violence in the house" and "calls for help" about an hour after Stephen returned home, according to CBS News. Three neighbors told police they heard "some sort of disturbance."

Around 2 a.m., the security guard was making his rounds when he saw a "dark shadow" near Stephen's apartment. The guard realized it was a person but couldn't see their face. He lost sight of them, but then saw the person drive away from the complex in their car.

Bloody Message on the Wall

The next day, James went to Stephen's apartment after he didn't show up at their mother's house. There, he found Stephen dead in his bed, covered in blood and under a blanket. James also saw Stephen's bedroom was covered in blood, and the word "Greed" was written on the wall in blood.

Law enforcement didn't have enough to go on, and the case eventually went cold.

Cold Case Confession

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation in 2022. They worked with the forensic genetic genealogy company Othram Labs to create a detailed DNA profile of an unknown suspect. Using that profile, forensic researchers found new leads in the investigation.

Then in 2024, forensic analysis "identified a previously unknown DNA profile, linking the case to an unsolved 2005 sexual assault in Illinois," according to the HCSO. On Feb. 5, 2025, Brandon Gliha was arrested on a forgery warrant from Illinois. Investigators from the Cold Case Unit talked to Gliha, and he admitted to killing Stephen, the sheriff's office said. A DNA sample from Gliha was a match and he was then charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon.

Gliha told investigators during his interview that a person named "Chino" picked him up in his car, and they met Stephen before following him to his condo. Gliha said that Chino set him up to have sex with Edenfield, and then Chino and Stephen argued about payment in the bedroom. Gliha claimed he grabbed a porcelain statue and threw it at Stephen. When Stephen pushed him, Gliha stabbed him. Then, according to Gliha, Chino came up from behind and stabbed Stephen as well, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

'Some Measure of Peace'

"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, according to an HCSO press release. "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."

'What Goes Around Comes Around'

During the 28 years Stephen's murder remained unsolved, his mother and two sisters passed away. His brother James was the last person in the family still waiting for someone to be held responsible for Stephen's death.

"I really was shocked, because I wasn't expecting it to happen in my lifetime," said James, 72, as reported in the Tampa Bay Times. "But, you know, I guess it's like I told them, what goes around comes around."

References: Fla. Man Confessed to Fatally Stabbing Victim in 'Violent' 1997 Murder, Wrote 'Greed' in Blood on the Wall: Police | Suspect Arrested in Cold Case Homicide Dating Back to 1997 | Murder Suspect Confesses to Decades-Old Florida Cold Case After DNA Leads to Arrest, Sheriff's Office Says | After 28 Years, DNA Leads to Arrest in Hillsborough Murder Case | Who Killed Stephen Edenfield?