R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, Through the significant efforts of law enforcement
1-2 agencies and concerned citizens, 11-year-old Leah Henry of Houston
1-3 was rescued in Kerr County on May 4, 2001, after being abducted and
1-4 missing for three days; and
1-5 WHEREAS, Leah was kidnapped on May 1, 2001, after leaving her
1-6 bus from River Oaks Elementary School; authorities immediately
1-7 launched an extensive search, which came to an end after a tip from
1-8 Kerrville area residents Robert and Sharon Taylor, who spotted the
1-9 abductor's car in Kerr County; and
1-10 WHEREAS, Led by the couple's call to a hunting cabin, law
1-11 enforcement personnel confronted the abductor, Gary Dale Cox, who
1-12 had his hostage in his car; when Mr. Cox exited the car, a
1-13 quick-thinking Leah bolted from the car and fled to Kerr County
1-14 Sergeant David Billeiter, who drove her to safety; shortly
1-15 thereafter, Mr. Cox took his own life with a revolver; and
1-16 WHEREAS, Authorities had been looking for a serial kidnapper
1-17 after 11-year-old Lisa Bruno from New Orleans and 9-year-old Nykema
1-18 Augustine of San Antonio gave matching descriptions of the man who
1-19 abducted them; both girls had been held captive by Mr. Cox for
1-20 days; after being returned safely, they were then able to assist
1-21 law enforcement officers in their pursuit of Mr. Cox by providing
1-22 the invaluable descriptions; and
1-23 WHEREAS, Numerous law enforcement agencies joined together in
1-24 the search for and rescue of Leah Henry, and their professionalism
2-1 and resolve helped to save her from this harrowing situation; and
2-2 WHEREAS, The individuals from the Houston Police Department
2-3 involved in the effort included Homicide Division lieutenants G. A.
2-4 Mason, C. S. Arrington, and J. A. Buttitta, sergeants D. L. Bacon,
2-5 W. O. Allen, L. B. Smith, J. H. Binford, E. S. Mehl, L. D. Foltz,
2-6 M. L. Holbrook, C. B. Douglas, and M. L. Peters, and officers R. E.
2-7 King, E. Gonzalez, T. J. McCorvey, R. A. Swainson, M. Rodriguez, T.
2-8 Hunyh, J. L. Wright, and F. B. Boothe; Juvenile Division Lieutenant
2-9 L. L. Earls, sergeants V. R. Bishop and S. R. Gregg, and officers
2-10 D. Buse, P. Do, T. Pham, G. Rodriguez, S. P. Drehel, R. L. Callis,
2-11 V. M. Ryza, K. Cobb, J. Colunga, A. Flores, M. Robau, V. Ybarra,
2-12 and D. A. Gonzales; and Major Offenders sergeants L. G. Stoner, M.
2-13 A. Angel, M. L. Thomas, and P. J. Keys, and officers T. Janke, J.
2-14 W. Landrum, and N. Drehel, Jr.; and
2-15 WHEREAS, Houston FBI agents and task force members on the
2-16 case included special agent in charge Richard Mosquera; assistant
2-17 special agent in charge Brian Loader; assistant special agent in
2-18 charge Walter Hansen; supervisory special agents Randy Mondor, Owen
2-19 Harris, and Janet Kamerman; special agents David Resch, case-agent,
2-20 Mark Young, co-case agent, Ken Carter, Anne Cearlock, Randy Dabney,
2-21 Robert Doguim, Randy Durney, Barbara Knox Echard, Rick Gannaway,
2-22 Edward Galloway, Larry Greene, Michael Millard, Maureen Murphy,
2-23 Kristin Sheldon, Michael Stokes, Mark Telle, John Webb, and Kim
2-24 Wilkins; also active in the search and rescue were Phillip Galloway
2-25 of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Rose Marie Campbell of
2-26 the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and from District 3B Senior
2-27 Trooper Howard Brothers, Senior Trooper Robert Ynclan, and Trooper
3-1 I. Cody Klaehn; and
3-2 WHEREAS, Those from the San Antonio Division of the FBI
3-3 involved with the case included special agent in charge Roderick L.
3-4 Beverly; assistant special agents in charge Robert D. Grant and
3-5 John E. Lewis; supervisory special agents Jeffrey M. Allovio,
3-6 Judith M. Chilen, Michael Makowski, Josue M. Martinez, Thomas G.
3-7 Ruocco, and Monte Smith; special agents Osvaldo Alaniz, Miguel A.
3-8 Alba, A. Baesa, Jr., Larry Baker, Luis Barberena, Michael M.
3-9 Biasello, Jeffery S. Bolin, Greg Bowden, Kevin Brock, Kevin W.
3-10 Damuth, Lawrence J. Danielson, John DeLeon, Benjamin Delgado,
3-11 Willie Dominguez, Jr., Jim Egelston, Chris Eldridge, Thomas S.
3-12 Ensz, Nancy B. Fisher, Theodore O. Fisher, Jr., Robert M. Garcia,
3-13 Mario A. Gonzalez, Michael T. Hanley, Walter Glenn Henry, Jason V.
3-14 Herring, Darren W. Holmes, Alan Holzgrafe, Rodney Homer, Samuel S.
3-15 Houston, Jr., Nancy Houston, Curtis L. Hunt, Thomas P. Joy, Jr.,
3-16 Kevin J. Katz, Michelle S. Klimt, Lesley G. Koestner, Jonathan
3-17 Lacey, J. Andre Lamonde, Robert C. Marshall, Ricardo A. Martinez,
3-18 Mark Miller, Andrea Niebergell, George B. Parks, Eric A. Parsons,
3-19 Pompa Pompa, Jeffery Proctor, A. Lamar Pruit, Laura Crowford Rich,
3-20 Manuel B. Rodriguez III, Oscar Rodriguez, Rene Salinas, Joseph M.
3-21 Schadler, Jeffrey P. Schirmer, David Alan Shepard, Cary L.
3-22 Vanderberry, Arturo Vela, Mario E. Villaplana, Michael D. Wise,
3-23 Stephen G. Woolery, and Randy Zuehike; evidence technician Elba D.
3-24 Acuna; office automated assistant Susan Cantrell; electronic
3-25 technicians Barney Cash, John M. Chandler, Jr., John M. Drzymalla,
3-26 and W. Michael Swartz; computer specialist Alan G. Connor;
3-27 information management assistants Christopher Cowley and Jason Moy;
4-1 financial analyst Sandra J. Dovalina; secretaries Bernadette
4-2 Dworaczyk, Shawn R. McBride, and Donna M. Zayac; ELSUR clerk Javier
4-3 Flores; computer supervisor John E. Fritz; investigative assistants
4-4 Joann K. Hollingworth, Terrie L. Leonard, and Louis Montez;
4-5 telecommunications manager Dennis W. Kelly; and offices services
4-6 supervisor Jennifer L. Vela; and
4-7 WHEREAS, The Texas Department of Public Safety personnel
4-8 involved included, from the Aircraft Section, Lieutenant Richard
4-9 Nesby, Sergeant Ed Burris, Pilot Barry Winn, Robert Rhynesburger,
4-10 Bill Burfeind, Tim Middleton, and Mark Miller; from the Criminal
4-11 Law Enforcement--Special Crimes unit, Karen Lewis, Heidi Fischer,
4-12 Patty Subia, and Tammy Ray; from the Crime Records unit, Pam
4-13 Pierce, Connie Marak, and Angie Klein; from the Texas Rangers,
4-14 Company A--Houston, sergeants Andrew Carter, Otto Hanak, Cris Love,
4-15 and Brian Taylor; Company C--Amarillo, Sergeant Alvin Schmidt;
4-16 Company D--San Antonio, Captain C. J. Havrda, Lieutenant Lane Akin,
4-17 and sergeants Gary De Los Santos, Marrie Garcia, Tony Leal, John A.
4-18 Martin, Morgan L. Miller, and Coy L. Smith; and Company
4-19 F--Kerrville, sergeants Kyle Dean, Christine Nix, Tommy Ratliff,
4-20 and Rocky Wardlow; and from the Traffic Law Enforcement unit,
4-21 Captain Jack Hamilton; and
4-22 WHEREAS, All those associated with the effort to save Leah
4-23 Henry are truly worthy of our highest respect and admiration; as
4-24 participants in this massive manhunt, these individuals
4-25 demonstrated immense dedication to ensure the safe return of this
4-26 little girl, and it is both a privilege to pay tribute to them and
4-27 a comfort to know they are on the job each day protecting their
5-1 fellow Texans; now, therefore, be it
5-2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
5-3 Legislature hereby commend all those who dedicated themselves to
5-4 finding and rescuing Leah Henry and applaud them for the intensive
5-5 effort they put forth to aid a fellow Texan.
Wilson
Laney Goodman Merritt
Alexander Goolsby Miller
Allen Gray Moreno of Harris
Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso
Bailey Grusendorf Morrison
Berman Gutierrez Mowery
Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat
Bosse Hamric Najera
Brimer Hardcastle Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira
Burnam Heflin Olivo
Callegari Hilbert Pickett
Capelo Hilderbran Pitts
Carter Hill Puente
Chavez Hinojosa Ramsay
Chisum Hochberg Rangel
Christian Hodge Raymond
Clark Homer Reyna of Bexar
Coleman Hope Reyna of Dallas
Cook Hopson Ritter
Corte Howard Sadler
Counts Hunter Salinas
Crabb Hupp Seaman
Craddick Isett Shields
Crownover Janek Smith
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Davis of Harris Jones of Bexar Solis
Davis of Dallas Jones of Dallas Solomons
Delisi Junell Swinford
Denny Keel Talton
Deshotel Keffer Telford
Driver King of Parker Thompson
Dukes King of Uvalde Tillery
Dunnam Kitchen Truitt
Dutton Kolkhorst Turner of Coleman
Edwards Krusee Turner of Harris
Ehrhardt Kuempel Uher
Eiland Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Elkins Lewis of Orange Villarreal
Ellis Longoria Walker
Farabee Luna West
Farrar McCall Williams
Flores McClendon Wilson
Gallego McReynolds Wise
Garcia Madden Wohlgemuth
George Marchant Wolens
Geren Martinez Fischer Woolley
Giddings Maxey Yarbrough
Glaze Menendez Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1235 was adopted by the House on May
24, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House