On a summer day, what began with the promise of a potential modeling job ended in a tragedy that would haunt Wagoner County, Oklahoma, for decades to come. Seventeen-year-old Lisa Ann Henderson, a high school senior from Tulsa, left her home on June 1, 1979, with aspirations of a new career. Dressed in a long, white, flowered dress and heels, she carried two garment bags, presumably filled with outfits for her modeling opportunity.
Witnesses saw her leave in a maroon 1976 or 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, a car with noticeable damage to the driver's side and missing hubcaps.
The man behind the wheel was described as a pale white male in his 40s with thinning dark hair. This individual was the last person Lisa was seen with. Ten days later, on June 11, 1979, the search for Lisa came to a grim conclusion. Her body was discovered in a ditch off of Old Porter Road, south of Highway 51 in Wagoner County, approximately 27 miles from her home.
An autopsy revealed that Lisa Ann Henderson had been shot to death. In a brutal attempt to conceal the crime, her body had been set on fire. Despite the witness description of the man and his vehicle, no arrests have ever been made in connection with her murder. The case of the aspiring young model remains unsolved, a lingering mystery and a source of enduring pain for her family and community. A significant reward has been offered for any information that could finally lead to the capture of her killer.
