Justice Served Decades Later: Arrest in 1986 North Miami Beach Murder
Nearly four decades after the fatal shooting of a North Miami Beach real estate broker, authorities have apprehended a suspect in the long-unsolved case. Jeffrey Taylor, 64, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with second-degree murder with a firearm in connection with the 1986 killing of Shirley Brant, the owner of Brant Realty Corporation.
The Tragic Incident
On June 13, 1986, Brant, 49, was shot and killed in her office at 16375 NE 18th Ave. during what investigators described as an armed robbery. A co-worker at the time reported that two unidentified men entered the office, and one, now identified as Taylor, demanded Brant hang up the phone. A struggle ensued, and Brant was shot once. She later succumbed to her injuries at Parkway Regional Hospital.
Cold Case Unit Reopens Investigation
Despite initial extensive investigations by the North Miami Beach Police and Miami-Dade Police, the case remained cold for years. However, in 2023, a newly established Cold Case Unit within the North Miami Beach Police Department took up the investigation. Detectives resubmitted latent fingerprints collected from the crime scene for analysis.
Breakthrough in the Case
Advancements in fingerprint technology proved crucial. On March 21, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab confirmed that the latent prints matched Jeffrey Taylor. North Miami Beach Police Chief Juan Pinillos expressed his gratitude to the cold case unit, noting that both detectives involved came out of retirement specifically to pursue justice for Miss Brant.
Key Takeaways
- Jeffrey Taylor, 64, arrested for the 1986 murder of Shirley Brant.
- Brant was killed during an armed robbery at her North Miami Beach office.
- The case was reopened in 2023 by the North Miami Beach Police Cold Case Unit.
- Advances in fingerprint technology led to Taylor’s identification and arrest.
Taylor has been transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.