Photo: IAEA Imagebank | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Wikimedia Commons
Houston Police Arrest Suspect in 1990 ‘Lovers’ Lane’ Double Murder After CODIS DNA Match
Houston police, with FBI help, arrested Floyd William Parrott in Lincoln, Nebraska on suspicion of the 1990 "Lovers’ Lane" double murder after DNA from a 1996 sexual-assault file uploaded to CODIS matched DNA from victim Cheryl Henry’s autopsy rape kit (and to another unsolved assault). The arrest — prompted in part by a late-2025 tip that led investigators to re-examine the 1996 file — is being described by detectives, officials and family members as the culmination of decades of work and ties to broader efforts to address backlogs of untested rape kits.
📌 Key Facts
- A DNA profile from a 1996 sexual-assault case involving Floyd William Parrott was uploaded to CODIS and matched DNA from Cheryl Henry’s autopsy rape kit and DNA linked to another unsolved sexual-assault case.
- A tip submitted in late 2025 prompted investigators to re-examine the 1996 sexual-assault file and led to the CODIS upload that produced the matches.
- Floyd William Parrott was arrested in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Houston police and the FBI and is awaiting extradition to Harris County.
- The arrest is connected to the 1990 “Lovers’ Lane” double homicide in Houston, in which a couple was found dead in a car; the killings had remained unsolved for 36 years.
- Investigators revisited older evidence as part of wider efforts to address a backlog of untested rape kits in Houston and nationwide, and officials have tied the arrest to those systemic reforms.
- The New York Times account adds narrative detail on the 1990 killings, background on the victims, and how the case languished for decades.
- Detectives, surviving family members, and local officials offered emotional statements about finally making an arrest after 36 years.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 27, 2026
11:23 PM
Arrest Made in ‘Lovers Lane Murders,’ a 1990 Cold Case in Houston
New information:
- The New York Times piece provides additional narrative detail on the 1990 killings at the Houston 'Lovers’ Lane' site, including more background on the victims and how the case languished for decades.
- It adds context on how investigators revisited older evidence and the broader backlog of untested rape kits in Houston and nationwide, tying this arrest to systemic reforms.
- It includes fresh quotes from detectives, surviving family members and local officials on the emotional impact of finally making an arrest after 36 years.
4:06 PM
‘Lovers’ Lane’ murders suspect nabbed decades after couple found dead in car
New information:
- Confirms that DNA from a 1996 sexual-assault case in which Floyd William Parrott was a suspect was uploaded to CODIS and matched not only to Cheryl Henry’s autopsy rape-kit DNA but also to another unsolved sexual-assault case.
- Adds that a late-2025 previously submitted tip prompted investigators to re-examine the 1996 sexual-assault file involving Parrott.
- Reiterates that Parrott was arrested in Lincoln, Nebraska by Houston Police and the FBI and is awaiting extradition to Harris County, consistent with but not expanding prior reporting.