Police in Florida have arrested a man in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found battered and strangled on Hollywood Beach. Brandon Ward McCray, 28, faces charges including sexual battery, kidnapping, battery, and battery by strangulation over the killing of 56-year-old Heather Asendorf.
Asendorf's body was discovered in the sand near Cleveland Street at around 7am on December 26, after a passerby alerted authorities. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene, and detectives later determined that foul play was involved.
The Hollywood Police Department has not released details on what linked McCray to the death, and his arrest warrant has been sealed. In a statement, police said the case remains an active criminal investigation but stressed there was no indication of a broader threat to the community.
McCray was being held at Broward Main Jail on a $770,000 bond as of Monday. According to the Miami Herald, he also has a pending aggravated assault case in Broward County, stemming from an incident in September 2023 in which he allegedly fired at two car repossession employees attempting to tow his Mitsubishi Outlander.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Asendorf's death to contact Hollywood Police on 954-967-4636.
