A Florida man is facing multiple felony charges following the death of a 56-year-old woman whose body was found on a busy tourist beach the morning after Christmas, according to recent reports.
Local 10, Fox 13, and the Sun Sentinel reported that Brandon Ward McCray was arrested in connection with the death of Heather Asendorf.
McCray, 28, was taken into custody on Dec. 31, 2025. Court records show he has been charged with sexual battery, kidnapping, battery, and battery by strangulation. He has not been charged with murder in Asendorf’s death.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/hollywood-beach-florida-011226-11f58223c02f45929e72cd8cd354e6c9.jpg)
Asendorf’s body was discovered around 7 a.m. the day after Christmas by someone walking along Hollywood Beach, a popular destination in southeastern Florida, according to Local 10. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The outlet reported that police said Asendorf was from Pennsylvania.
Investigators have said McCray and Asendorf appeared to have known each other, though authorities have not publicly described the nature of their relationship, the Sun Sentinel reported. Police also told Fox 13 that the case remains an active criminal investigation.
McCray is currently being held without bond, according to court records. A next court date was not listed on the Broward County Clerk’s website.
