Cheryl Henry

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Houston Police Department (TX)

Offense Location:

Houston, TX

Summary:

Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson were last seen at Bayou Mama’s Nightclub around 10:45 p.m. The next day, neither one reported to work, so a missing person’s report was filed. A Sysco Food Security Guard spotted Atkinson’s abandoned vehicle in the 1300 block of Enclave Round, part of an undeveloped business park. Officers found Henry’s nude body on the property, while Atkinson’s body was later found not far from the body of Henry. They both were brutally murdered.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

That night, on Aug. 22, Cheryl and her sister met up with Andy at Bayou Mama's nightclub on Westheimer at South Gessner. That was the last time anyone saw them alive. The couple drove to a then-remote area known as Lovers Lane off Enclave Parkway near Eldridge Parkway in west Houston. The man who killed them was there, too. When Cheryl didn't come home by the next morning, her family called Houston police. It was a security guard who found Andy's white car with Cheryl's purse and shoes inside. Andy was found tied to a tree and nearly decapitated. Detectives told his father that Cheryl was killed first. Cheryl was raped and her throat was slit.

Additional Details:

The unidentified DNA profile from Cheryl’s rape and murder had been entered into CODIS long ago. But years later, the Harris County Sheriff s Department entered a DNA profile found at an unsolved burglary/rape that had actually been committed months BEFORE the killings of Cheryl and Andy. The result: The DNA evidence from the two different crimes seemed to be from the same person.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 22, 2024