Murder suspect arrested, but victim unknown

HOUSTON Investigators have identified a suspect in the October 18, 1990 murder of a still unidentified female victim. Children playing in the area found the woman in a drainage ditch in the 9600 block of Beechnut. Her body was badly decomposed. The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office determined the woman had suffered head trauma, but despite painstaking efforts has not been able to formally identify her.

The suspect, Terrence Tyrone Johnson, 39, is charged with murder in 208th State District Court. New information was developed in the case last month, leading investigators to interview Johnson, who was an inmate in a Texas Department of Corrections prison unit in Wichita Falls, Texas. Johnson provided investigators with a statement that led to murder charges filed against him.

Homicide investigators are re-releasing two composite sketches of the female. One is a reconstruction sketch of what she likely looked like and the other shows the articles of clothing she was wearing when she was located. The composite sketches were originally released in 1991.

Investigators are doing everything they can to identify the victim in this case. She was described as being Hispanic, 18 to 22 years old, and about 5 feet tall with black hair. She was wearing a distinctive gray T-shirt with "Marine's Sport" on the front, along with black pants. Based on new information, the woman lived in the area she was found and she might have a first name of Cassandra.

Anyone with information on the identity of the female victim is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.

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