{"id":261591,"date":"2026-04-22T19:31:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T19:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/261591\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T19:31:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T19:31:07","slug":"grand-jury-indicts-suspect-in-1990-lovers-lane-killings-after-decades-long-cold-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/261591\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand jury indicts suspect in 1990 \u2018Lovers\u2019 Lane\u2019 killings after decades-long cold case"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON \u2013 A Harris County grand jury has returned a capital murder indictment against a suspect in one of Houston\u2019s most haunting cold cases, more than three decades after two young people were found brutally killed in west Houston.<\/p>\n

According to an update released Wednesday, Floyd William Parrott has been formally charged with capital murder in the 1990 killings of Cheryl Henry, 22, and Garland \u201cAndy\u201d Atkinson, 21 \u2014 a case long known as the \u201cLovers\u2019 Lane\u201d murders.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Crucial tip, DNA link leads to capital murder arrest in 1990 \u2018Lovers\u2019 Lane\u2019 cold case that shook Houston<\/a><\/p>\n

Parrott, now 64, was arrested last month in Lincoln, Nebraska, and is expected to be extradited back to Harris County.<\/p>\n

During a press conference, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said the break in the case is especially meaningful to him, as he was just 11 years old when the murders happened and remembers how deeply it shook Houston.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives me so much pride to be able to say, \u2018We got him,\u2019\u201d Teare said.<\/p>\n

KPRC 2\u2019s Bryce Newberry<\/a> is working to learn more about Parrott\u2019s extradition. Prosecutors have not released additional details, citing the ongoing legal process.<\/p>\n

Investigators previously said Parrott is believed to have been in the Houston area in the late 1980s and early 1990s.<\/p>\n

UPDATE: Today, a Harris County grand jury returned an indictment charging Floyd William Parrott with Capital Murder in the 1990 Lovers\u2019 Lane killings of Cheryl Henry and Garland \u201cAndy\u201d Atkinson.<\/p>\n

One month ago, Parrott was arrested in Lincoln, Nebraska. Days after that, we asked\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/bgFfGxQQ4O<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Harris County District Attorney (@HarrisCountyDAO) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Authorities are also asking the public to review previously released photos \u2014 including images of a vehicle \u2014 and come forward with any information that could assist the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe truly believe there are more victims out there,\u201d Teare said. \u201cIf you met him once, if you met him at a club, let us know. Because over the next months, we are going to get a complete picture of what this individual was doing in our community for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n

The announcement comes during National Crime Victims\u2019 Rights Week, observed April 19\u201325, with officials noting the decades-long wait families often endure in cases like this.<\/p>\n

After Parrott\u2019s arrest was announced last month, Henry\u2019s sister told KPRC 2\u2019s Bryce Newberry<\/a> the news was overwhelming and difficult to process after so many years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to see that it\u2019s real after 35 years of nothing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Information on the murders<\/p>\n

Henry and Atkinson had been dating at the time of their deaths in August 1990.<\/p>\n

Henry was last seen after a night out with her sister and Atkinson. When she failed to show up for work the next day, her family reported her missing.<\/p>\n

On Aug. 23, 1990, a security guard found a white Honda Civic parked at the end of a cul-de-sac near the 1300 block of Enclave Parkway. Henry\u2019s purse was still inside the vehicle, along with her identification.<\/p>\n

A search of the nearby wooded area led to a grim discovery.<\/p>\n

Investigators found Henry\u2019s body hidden under wooden boards, in what appeared to be an attempt to conceal it. Roughly 200 yards away, Atkinson\u2019s body was found propped against a tree, where he had been tied.<\/p>\n

Autopsies later determined both victims died from sharp-force injuries to the neck.<\/p>\n

Court records allege Atkinson was tied up and killed first. Investigators believe Henry was then restrained, sexually assaulted, and killed.<\/p>\n

Investigation that led to suspect\u2019s arrest<\/p>\n

The case remained unsolved for nearly 36 years until new developments emerged.<\/p>\n

Investigators say a tip \u2014 followed up in late 2025 \u2014 led them to Parrott as a potential suspect.<\/p>\n

That tip ultimately connected to DNA evidence through the national CODIS database.<\/p>\n

Authorities said DNA from a 1996 sexual assault case, in which Parrott was identified as a suspect, matched evidence collected during Henry\u2019s autopsy.<\/p>\n

Another DNA link was also made to a separate sexual assault reported in June 1990.<\/p>\n

Those connections helped investigators build the case that led to Parrott\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n

Breaking News Alerts<\/p>\n

More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n