29 Years Cold: How a Single Hair and 30 DNA Samples Identified a Teacher's Killer

👰 THE MARY CATHERINE EDWARDS CASE | She Was a Bridesmaid at Her Killer's Wedding

On January 14, 1995, elementary school teacher Mary Catherine Edwards was found murdered in her Beaumont, Texas townhouse—handcuffed, sexually assaulted, and left in her bathtub. For 29 years, her family waited for answers. Then in 2021, genetic genealogy identified her killer: Clayton Foreman, a man Catherine had known since high school. A man whose wedding she had stood up in as a bridesmaid in 1982, thirteen years before he murdered her.

This is the story of how one hair, 30 DNA samples, and revolutionary genetic genealogy solved a case that had been cold for nearly three decades. And how, in a final act of poetic justice, Clayton Foreman was arrested with the same handcuffs he'd used to bind Catherine 29 years earlier.

⏱️ TIMELINE:
0:00 - Introduction: The Teacher in the Bathtub
2:50 - Mary Catherine Edwards: Beloved Elementary Teacher
6:45 - January 13-14, 1995: The Last 24 Hours
10:50 - Discovery by Her Twin Sister and Parents
15:10 - The Police-Grade Handcuffs
19:40 - 29 Years of Cold Case Frustration (1995-2019)
24:20 - Detective Tina Lewallen Reopens the Case
28:45 - Genetic Genealogy Breakthrough
33:30 - Identifying Clayton Foreman
37:40 - The Shocking Wedding Connection
41:15 - April 29, 2021: Arrest in Ohio
44:50 - March 2024: The Trial Begins
47:30 - The 1981 Assault Pattern
49:20 - Guilty Verdict in Less Than One Hour
50:15 - Sentencing: The Same Handcuffs
51:00 - Legacy and Justice After 29 Years

👤 CLAYTON FOREMAN BACKGROUND:
Age in 1995: 34 years old
Connection to victim: Attended Forest Park High School with Catherine
*Catherine was bridesmaid at his wedding in 1982* (to first wife Dianna Coe)
1981: Raped fellow high school student Paula Ramsey (pled to aggravated assault, 3 years probation)
Method similarities: Both attacks involved binding victim's hands behind back
1995-2021: Lived freely, moved to Ohio in 2007, worked as rideshare driver
No criminal record after 1981 (never arrested again until 2021)

🧬 THE DNA BREAKTHROUGH:
2019: Detective Tina Lewallen reopens case
2020: DNA from 1995 crime scene sent for modern analysis
Profile uploaded to GEDmatch (public genealogy database)
Genetic genealogist Shera LaPoint builds family trees from distant relatives
*30 voluntary DNA samples collected from extended family members*
Trees converge on Clayton Foreman
April 2021: DNA from Foreman's trash (Ohio) matches crime scene
Probability: 1 in several trillion

🔗 THE WEDDING CONNECTION:
In 1982, Catherine Edwards and her identical twin sister Allison served as bridesmaids at Clayton Foreman's wedding to Dianna Coe. The wedding photo shows Catherine standing beside the groom—the man who would murder her 13 years later.

Foreman initially denied knowing Catherine when interviewed by Texas Rangers in 2021. When shown the wedding photo, he changed his story to admit he knew her but claimed minimal contact.

His ex-wife Dianna testified at trial about the wedding and her friendship with Catherine.

👯 CATHERINE'S IDENTICAL TWIN:
Allison Brocato and Catherine were inseparable. They had lunch together every Saturday without fail. When Catherine didn't answer her phone on January 14, 1995, Allison immediately knew something was wrong. She and her parents discovered Catherine's body.

Allison testified at trial, describing the bond they shared and the 29-year wait for justice.

From Allison: "Clayton Foreman took my sister from us. But he didn't destroy our family's determination to see justice done."

🎓 CATHERINE'S LEGACY:
Elementary school teacher at Price Elementary
Beloved by students, parents, and colleagues
Memorial tree planted at Price Elementary with plaque
Former students (now adults) shared memories after conviction
Case demonstrates importance of never giving up on cold cases

🔗 SOURCES:
Jefferson County Criminal District Court Trial Transcripts
Beaumont Police Department Case Files
Detective Tina Lewallen & Aaron Lewallen Interviews
Trial Testimony (70+ witnesses)
Genetic Genealogist Shera LaPoint Documentation
Local Beaumont News Coverage (1995-2024)
Family Victim Impact Statements

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Thank you for watching and helping keep Catherine's story alive. Your engagement shows that even 29 years later, justice matters and families deserve answers.

Rest in peace, Mary Catherine Edwards (1963-1995) 📚

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