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Family Urges Dallas Police to Reopen 2014 Murder Case of Pregnant Mother D'Lisa Kelley

Advocates say modern DNA testing and genetic genealogy now offer a realistic path to identify a suspect.

Overview

  • Kelley disappeared after leaving her grandmother’s home and her body was found in an abandoned Oak Cliff house in March 2014.
  • Recordings obtained by the family show a grandmother saying Kelley was “screaming for her life” and a 911 sergeant appearing to downplay the call, prompting long‑standing criticism of the initial response.
  • On Friday, family members and Next Generation Action Network held a news conference demanding that Dallas police formally renew or intensify the cold‑case investigation.
  • Dallas police say the Special Investigations Unit has taken over the cold case and is using investigative methods not available in 2014 while advocates and a civil‑rights attorney are urging retesting of preserved DNA and the use of genetic genealogy.
  • Kelley’s killing helped spur Texas to create the CLEAR Alert system for missing adults and her family says renewed testing could bring answers for her son and the wider Dallas community.