Florida Man Arrested for Murder After Body Found on Beach

A man from Florida has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman, with officials alleging he abandoned her body at a popular beach site the day after Christmas.

Brandon Ward McCray, 28, was apprehended by U.S. Marshals alongside Hollywood Police on December 30, 2025. He faces multiple charges, including sexual assault, kidnapping, assault, and strangulation, as noted in police records.

Authorities received a call regarding a body found in the sand at Hollywood Beach, situated around 25 miles from Fort Lauderdale Beach, early in the morning on December 26, 2025. The victim, who was later identified as 56-year-old Heather Asendorff, was pronounced dead at the scene.

An eyewitness claimed the body was wrapped in a white blanket, with blood present around the site. Though specific details about Asendorff’s cause of death haven’t been disclosed, police suggest that foul play might have been involved. Moreover, investigators believe that McCray and Asendorff were familiar with each other prior to the incident.

“This ongoing investigation remains focused on criminal activity,” stated Hollywood Police in a press release, adding that there’s no evidence suggesting a broader threat to the public.

In previous reports, McCray was charged in 2023 for aggravated assault after an incident involving a firearm aimed at a tow truck driver.

McCray was apprehended at a nearby residence and is currently held at the Broward County Main Jail with a bail set at $770,000. At this time, neither the police nor McCray’s attorney have commented.