On the night of December 6, 2008, 51-year-old Letha Perkins and her 13-year-old goddaughter were shot and killed during a home invasion at Perkins’ residence on Sandra Street in northeast Houston. Neighbors heard gunfire late that evening and police found both victims deceased inside the well-kept house near two churches. Perkins had previously reported suspicious people around her home. The girl attended Key Middle School and was a member of the dance team; neighbors remembered her as a sweet child.

The killings came amid a recent rise in drug-related activity in the neighborhood and followed another nearby homicide just days earlier, leaving residents frightened. No arrests had been announced in the immediate aftermath. If anyone knew Perkins or her goddaughter, or saw suspicious activity on Sandra Street that night, please share what you remember.