On November 12, 2007, Bethal Ann Rawls, aged 43, was found dead in her apartment at 10225 Bissonnet Street in southwest Houston. A relative discovered her body after she failed to answer phone calls, prompting concern. The investigation by the Houston Police Department revealed that Rawls had been brutally beaten, stabbed, and strangled. This incident initially did not result in any arrests, despite investigators examining several persons of interest at the time.
These individuals were ultimately eliminated based on DNA evidence collected from the crime scene.
In 2024, Houston cold case detectives reexamined the evidence and identified a potential suspect, Anthony Darrell Lankford, through phone records and further analysis of the original evidence. Lankford, 64 years old at the time of his arrest, was linked to the crime scene through DNA, which matched the unknown male DNA found in the apartment. He was questioned in February 2024, and his DNA sample confirmed his involvement. Lankford was subsequently arrested in August 2024 at his residence and charged with the murder of Bethal Rawls. Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the crime, and Lankford's connection to Rawls appears to have involved personal interactions before the tragic event.
The arrest of Lankford has provided some hope for Rawls' family after many years of uncertainty. The case highlights the role that advances in forensic technology can play in solving cold cases and brings a sense of closure to a grieving family that had waited nearly 17 years for answers regarding the death of their loved one. Police continue to urge anyone with additional information to come forward to help provide further clarity in this case.
