By Wilson                                             H.R. No. 1235
         77R17530 GMW-D                           
                                 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.