SFPD Raises Reward to $175,000 in 2001 Homicide of Paula Brien

San Francisco police authorized a $25,000 increase to a long-standing reward, raising the total to $175,000 as part of a renewed effort to solve the 2001 killing of Paula Brien. Brien, 25 at the time, was found dead near the 400 block of Harriet Street after she was last seen leaving a bar in the Sixth and Mission Streets area on June 18, 2001 with an unknown man in a red vehicle. No arrests have been made in the case.

SFPD announced the action on Feb. 18, 2026 and reissued a cold-case bulletin this month, posting an update to its social media channels as investigators seek fresh leads. The department authorized the increase to the reward to encourage information that could identify, arrest, or result in charges in the homicide that has remained unsolved for more than two decades.

Investigators describe a person of interest in the case as a white or Caucasian man who in 2001 would have been between 35 and 40 years old, about 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall, and roughly 200 pounds, with dark brown hair and deep-set eyes. Witness accounts and the reward bulletin indicate the man was seen driving a red vehicle with Brien the night she disappeared from the Sixth and Mission area and was later located less than a mile away on Harriet Street.

Homicide Cold Case Investigator Daniel Cunningham and Investigator Daniel Dedet are handling the probe and have been named as primary contacts for tipsters. Call Cunningham at 415-553-9515 or Dedet at 415-553-1450. The SFPD Department Operations Center can be reached at 415-553-1071. Anonymous tips are accepted through the SFPD 24-hour tip line at 415-575-4444 or by texting TIP411 and beginning the message with SFPD.

The department has raised the reward in stages over the years and re-publicized the case in 2022 when a $100,000 offer was first circulated, officials said, as detectives reported developing new avenues of inquiry last year. Investigators emphasized that even small details from the night of June 18, 2001 could prove critical to connecting leads and testing any remaining physical evidence.

Police reiterated that tips leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of suspect or suspects remain the goal of the renewed bulletin. With the reward now at $175,000 and cold-case detectives actively pursuing leads, the SFPD said it hopes renewed public attention will produce information capable of advancing the investigation toward an arrest and possible conviction.