On a weekend in early April 2007, John Henry, 47, went to visit his friend, Clyde York, at his apartment in a complex on Northpoint Drive in North Houston. Henry was expected to return to his own home on Saturday, April 7, but he never arrived. As the hours turned into a day, his family’s concern grew. After being unable to reach him, family members went to Clyde York’s apartment to check on him, but no one answered their knocks.
The family’s unease deepened over the next 24 hours. On the afternoon of Monday, April 9, they returned to the apartment, #901, in the 900 block of Northpoint Drive. This time, they discovered the front door was unlocked. Fearing the worst, they entered the residence and were met with a devastating scene. Inside, they found both Clyde York, a 49-year-old African-American man, and John Henry. Both men were deceased, each having sustained a fatal gunshot wound. The discovery was made at approximately 2:00 p.m., and a call was immediately placed to the police.
The Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division dispatched investigators to the scene, including Sergeant W.P. Booth and Officer A.D. Brown. They began the painstaking process of examining the apartment for any clue as to what had transpired. Based on their initial assessment, detectives believed Henry had likely arrived at York's apartment sometime between Friday night, April 6, and early Saturday morning. A key detail noted by police was the absence of any signs of forced entry. This suggested that the killer, or killers, may have been known to the victims and were either let into the apartment or entered through the already unlocked door.
The motive for the double homicide was perplexing to investigators. Robbery was quickly ruled out as a likely reason for the crime, as both York and Henry were found with their money and personal property still in their possession. While police reported finding evidence of drug use within the apartment, they could not confirm if it was connected to the motive for the shootings. The scene left detectives with few immediate leads and a complex puzzle to solve. Who would want to kill these two men, and why was the encounter so violent, yet so quiet that no neighbors reported a disturbance?
In the years since the killings, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made. The case remains open but has grown cold, joining a list of unsolved homicides in Houston from that year. The lack of a clear motive, the absence of forced entry, and the apparent lack of witnesses have presented significant challenges for law enforcement. Funeral services for Clyde York were held on Saturday, April 21, 2007, at the Unity of Faith Baptist Church, with Bishop Lonnie Mills officiating. He was laid to rest at the Martha Chapel Cemetery.
The families of Clyde York and John Henry have now waited for over a decade and a half for answers and for justice. The passage of time has not diminished their need to know who was responsible for the violent deaths of their loved ones. The Houston Police Department continues to ask for the public’s help, believing that someone, somewhere has information that could be the key to breaking the case open.
As of April 2007, the investigation is ongoing. Authorities urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Anyone with knowledge of the case is encouraged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or to provide an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
