They Drove to Lovers Lane and Never Came Back

On August 22, 1990, Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson left a Houston nightclub and vanished. Their white car was later found abandoned at the end of a dark dead end street known locally as Lovers Lane. Inside the vehicle were broken glass, blood, and Cheryl’s belongings, but no sign of the couple. Hours later, police made a horrifying discovery in a nearby wooded field. Cheryl had been sexually assaulted, bound, and murdered. Andy was found a short distance away, tied to a tree and killed. Investigators believe Cheryl was murdered first, forcing Andy to hear what was happening before his own death. The crime scene contained disturbing and unexplained details. Golf balls and a club taken from Andy’s trunk were placed near Cheryl’s body. A twenty dollar bill lay nearby. Balloons were found hanging from tree branches. Despite FBI profiling, early DNA testing, and years of investigation, no suspect was identified. Years later, DNA linked the Lovers Lane murders to a sexual assault that occurred two months earlier in Houston. The surviving victim described an attacker whose behavior suggested someone familiar with security or military style discipline. A confirmed DNA profile exists, but no arrest has ever been made. More than three decades later, the murders of Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson remain unsolved, with hope resting on new forensic advances that could finally reveal the person responsible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices