Suspect in Lovers Lane murders dies while awaiting extradition, Harris County DA’s Office confirms

HOUSTON — A man charged in a decades-old Houston double murder case has died while awaiting extradition, leaving new questions about what happens next in one of the city’s most haunting cold cases.

Floyd William Parrott was found dead Tuesday morning in a jail in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he was being held as he awaited extradition back to Harris County, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities have not released details about the circumstances of his death.

Parrott, 64, was accused of killing 22-year-old Cheryl Lynn Henry and 21-year-old Garland Andrew “Andy” Atkinson in August 1990.

Investigators allege the couple was killed by having their necks cut with a knife. Both deaths were ruled homicides caused by sharp-force injuries to the neck.

The case remained unsolved for decades before new evidence led to charges against Parrott earlier this year.

According to court documents, the victims were last seen alive the night of Aug. 22, 1990, after spending time at a nightclub.

The next day, a security guard found a white Honda Civic sitting for hours in a remote cul-de-sac along Enclave Parkway in west Harris County, an area described at the time as undeveloped.

After noticing a purse inside the car and contacting the victim’s family, authorities were called to the scene.

Officers later found Henry’s body in a nearby wooded area, hidden under wooden boards. Investigators said she had severe injuries to her neck.

As the search continued, a second body was discovered about 150 to 200 yards away. That victim was later identified as Atkinson, Henry’s boyfriend.

Investigators said Atkinson’s hands were tied behind his back with rope, and another rope was wrapped around him and a tree. He also had severe injuries to his neck.

Despite an extensive investigation in 1990, the case went cold for decades.

Authorities say the case was revived after a tip led investigators to Parrott as a possible suspect.

DNA evidence later became a key factor. Investigators said a DNA profile linked to Parrott in a 1996 sexual assault case matched evidence collected during Henry’s autopsy.

A second match connected that same DNA profile to a separate 1990 sexual assault case.

Records show Parrott had multiple arrests in Harris County in the late 1980s and 1990s, including impersonating a peace officer and carrying a weapon.

Investigators said those records placed him in the Houston area at the time of the killings.

Parrott was sentenced to prison in 1995 and was later released on parole in 1999.

Parrott had not waived his right to extradition and was scheduled for a court hearing on April 30 as the process to return him to Harris County moved forward.

His death now raises questions about how the case will proceed.

Authorities have not released additional information about the circumstances surrounding his death, and it is unclear what steps investigators or prosecutors will take next.

Aug. 22, 1990: Cheryl Henry, 22, and Andy Atkinson, 21, are last seen after meeting at Bayou Mama’s nightclub in west Houston.

Later that night: The couple drives to a then-remote area known as Lovers’ Lane near Enclave Parkway.

Aug. 22, 1990 (later): The couple is believed to have been killed at the site.

Aug. 23, 1990: A security guard discovers their vehicle parked in a cul-de-sac near 1300 Enclave Parkway and finds the victims unresponsive. Both are later pronounced dead.

1990 (two months earlier) / 2000s breakthrough: DNA from a separate sexual assault case is later matched to the killings, but the suspect is not identified.

Early 2000s: Investigators compare DNA from at least two dozen potential suspects, but none match.

2001: A letter offering information about the case is sent to police but leads nowhere.

1990s–2010s: Investigators pursue leads for decades as the case remains unsolved.

2010s: Detectives explore newer tools, including familial DNA, in hopes of identifying a suspect.

March 25, 2026: Floyd William Parrott, 64, is arrested in Lincoln, Nebraska.

March 2026: Parrott is charged with capital murder in Harris County.

April 28, 2026: Parrot dies while awaiting extradition in Lincoln, Nebraska jail.

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