Mayhem in the Morgue: Cold Cases, Lover’s Lane Murder, and the Brown’s Chicken Massacre
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
4.2 • 8.1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 May 2026
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Listen to Mayhem in the Morgue on all podcast platforms: https://link.podtrac.com/MayhemMorgue
In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines how forensic pathology, DNA evidence, and meticulous evidence preservation can revive years-long cold cases, specifically focusing on the 1990 Lover’s Lane murder and the 1993 Brown’s Chicken massacre. Dr. Crowns details the physiological realities of neck trauma and the four stages of hemorrhagic shock, and explains how tools like the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) allow investigators to match decades old DNA to identify potential suspects. The episode closes with Dr. Crowns sharing lessons learned from testifying in court and the importance of using precise language.
Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:15) The Lover’s Lane murders, cold case questions, and Dr. Crowns’ follow-up to a recent Crime Stories with Nancy Grace discussion
(1:15) Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson are reported missing before searchers discover their bodies in the woods
(2:15) What incised wounds reveal about sharp force trauma to the neck
(3:00) Why injuries to the carotid arteries and jugular veins can lead to hemorrhagic shock and rapid death
(9:00) What Henry and Atkinson likely endured before losing consciousness
(10:15) A 2026 tip, CODIS, and the DNA match that may move the Lover’s Lane case toward trial
(12:00) How DNA and trace evidence are collected during autopsy and preserved for future testing
(14:45) The Brown’s Chicken massacre and how discarded food evidence led to preserved DNA samples
(21:30) Breakthrough in the case and the identification of the suspects
(22:45) Why substitute medical examiners sometimes testify in older cases and the importance of using precise language in court
(29:30) Smith v. Arizona, the confrontation clause, and legal changes affecting substitute testimony
(31:15) Closing thoughts on how modern forensic science continues to solve cold cases
About the Host:
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, andKansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often misunderstood realities of forensic pathology.
About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.
Connect and Learn More
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on Linkedin. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:03.4 | Guaranteed human. |
| 0:05.3 | Today's episode includes the information about the death of individuals. |
| 0:09.3 | If this sort of thing upsets you, this is not the episode for you. |
| 0:13.6 | May I suggest you watch a movie, maybe something like Night of the Living Dead. |
| 0:19.2 | Welcome to Mayhem in the Morning with your host, Dr. Kendall Crowns. |
| 0:30.4 | Today's episode, Cold Cases, Lever's Lane Murders, and the Browns Chicken Massacre. |
| 0:37.3 | Once again, recently I was on the Nancy Gray Show, and we discussed the Levers Lane murders from Houston, Texas, |
| 0:43.4 | and there was a question that was brought up that I wanted to discuss a little more in depth. |
| 0:48.0 | But first, let's go into the details of the Lovers Lane murders. |
| 0:52.5 | On August 22nd, 1990, Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson were murdered in a remote wooded area off Enclave Parkway near Breyer Forest Drive in West Houston. |
| 1:05.2 | They were parked in a cul-de-sac known as Enclave A, which was a wooded secluded area where people would go to be romantic, hence the name Lover's Lane. |
| 1:15.1 | What happened next is unknown, but the next day a Cisco food security guard doing a routine patrol, |
| 1:22.1 | noticed Atkins' car sitting for hours abandoned in the cul-de-sac. |
| 1:26.9 | He eventually checked the car, and he noticed |
| 1:29.8 | Henry's purse on the passenger's side floorboard, and the keys still in the ignition. He found |
| 1:36.0 | her driver's license, called the family, and they told him she had been reported missing. Police were |
| 1:42.3 | alerted, and the search began. Search dogs found Henry's |
| 1:46.1 | naked body, hidden under wooden boards in the woods. Her hands were tied behind her back. She had been |
| 1:52.3 | sexually assaulted and her throat was slashed. They expanded their search and found Atkins' body |
| 1:58.4 | the next day, about 150 yards away, propped up in a seated position, |
| 2:03.1 | his hands were tied behind his back, and another rope was wrapped around him in the tree going up |
... |
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