Homicide: Los Angeles on Netflix- What happened to Teresa Broudreaux? 

Teresa Broudreaux's brutal murder and its subsequent investigation, which took years and years before a perpetrator was singled out, remains one of the darkest chapters of Los Angeles' history. It is now also a part of Netflix's latest true-crime docu-series, Homicide: Los Angeles, which chronicles many infamous crimes from the famed city.

The third episode of Homicide: Los Angeles, titled Murder at the Beach, chronicles this story in full detail, where a young pregnant mother of one was beaten to death at Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes Estates, California. What followed was a long, long period of investigation, which saw the husband and grieving father, Ronnie Fematt, becoming the chief suspect.

It took the authorities 40 years to finally punish the real killer, Robert Yniguez, a convict with a history of assault. He had been in and out of prison for r*pe and was already on the list of suspects because of a DNA match from the 1980 crime scene. However, he finally admitted to the crime in 2019, leading to a very delayed sentencing.

Homicide: Los Angeles covers this case in more detail. Read on to find out more about Teresa Broudreaux and the circumstances surrounding the murder.

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Who was Teresa Broudreaux and how did she die?

Teresa Broudreaux was a 20-year-old woman who had recently tied the knot with Ronnie Fematt and was expecting a second child. She was also the mother of a four-year-old daughter. Teresa and Ronnie met at a fast food restaurant and hit it off almost immediately.

After dating for some time, the couple decided to get married when they found that Teresa Broudreaux was pregnant with his child. Life seemed to be going well for the duo, who seemingly had a stable life and relationship. Moreover, things were looking up for the couple when something terrible happened.

On March 3, 1980, Ronnie and Teresa had a bitter argument after returning home from a house party. In the heat of the moment, Ronnie allegedly drove back to the party to cool off while Teresa went to her sister's house. That was the last time she was seen by anyone who knew her.

According to reports, Teresa made her way to the Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes Estates, California. No one saw Teresa alive again.

On the morning of March 4, 1980, Teresa's body was allegedly discovered by a surfer along the shoreline, completely naked and with pools of blood around her head. As the authorities delved into it, the official cause of death was declared to be blunt force trauma.

With no eyewitnesses, mortal enemies, and a lack of technological advancements, the first suspicion fell on Ronnie Fematt, whose argument with Teresa Broudreaux seemed the only thing the police could possibly single out.

However, Ronnie had an airtight alibi and coordinated with the officers in every way. Moreover, he seemed just as distraught in losing his new wife and unborn child.

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How was Teresa Broudreaux's murderer caught?

The case did not progress for a considerable time and grew cold, with no leads taking things in the right direction. Authorities finally had a breakthrough decades later in 2013, when the specialized cold case unit reviewed the case and found a DNA match.

It was Robert Yniguez of San Pedro. He was allegedly a serial convict who was arrested in 1981 and again a year later. He even served considerable prison time. Investigators initially believed that a DNA match wasn't enough to convict Yniguez, leading to multiple rounds of questioning.

In September 2019, Yniguez finally pled no contest to the lesser charge of second-degree murder and received a 15-year-to-life in state prison, where he continues to remain now.

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All the episodes of Homicide: Los Angeles are now streaming on Netflix.