August 7, 2023 • 29 mins
In October 1993, Thurgood Marshall School of Law student Dawn Williams vanished without so much as a trace. Fellow students, friends, and family searched everywhere but no clues were found. Houston Police, too, failed to find anything at all. The following month, a crew cleaning trash from an area in rural Montgomery County found the 25-year-old women’s body buried in a shallow grave, partially unearthed by animals. Police, and especially Dawn’s father, had a good idea what happened to her and who did it, but evidence has eluded investigators for 30 years. This re-recorded episode features updated information previously unavailable.
If you have any information about the murder of Helen Dawn Williams, please call HPD’s Cold Case Unit at 713-308-3618 or to remain anonymous and collect a reward, contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-8477
Please consider donating to the go fund me for Leon Laureles. You can find it at: gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorial
You can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcast
The Houston Chronicle, KHOU Houston, Blackpast.org, The Texas Observer, and the Houston press were used as sources for this episode
#JusticeForHelenDawnWilliams #Houston #HoustonTX #ThirdWard #HarrisCountyTX #Texas #TX #TexasTrueCrime #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #Homicide #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.
If you have any information about the murder of Helen Dawn Williams, please call HPD’s Cold Case Unit at 713-308-3618 or to remain anonymous and collect a reward, contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-8477
Please consider donating to the go fund me for Leon Laureles. You can find it at: gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorial
You can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcast
The Houston Chronicle, KHOU Houston, Blackpast.org, The Texas Observer, and the Houston press were used as sources for this episode
#JusticeForHelenDawnWilliams #Houston #HoustonTX #ThirdWard #HarrisCountyTX #Texas #TX #TexasTrueCrime #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #Homicide #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
The concol podcast may contain violent orgraphic subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.
Houston's historic Third Ward, also knownby its nickname The Trey, has
as rich, important, and tragica history as any other Texas community.
(00:22):
While precise boundaries of the Third Wardare not easy to nail down, the
area is usually defined by a startingpoint at Congress and Maine downtown and then
stretching miles south and southeast at anear forty five degree angle. The boundaries
have changed over time, anyway,as has the Third Ward's demographics and power
(00:48):
as a cultural epicenter. Though theTrey's population was almost evenly split between blacks
and whites when the Wards were createdupon Houston's and Corporation, by the end
of the mid nineteenth century, whitesbegan leaving for suburban developments, the Third
Ward became mostly black and locally ownedand operated businesses there grew and thrived at
(01:17):
Dowling Street, especially the center ofthe Third Ward's business hub. The area
quickly became an important part of theblack community and culture in the following years,
and not just for Houstonians. Blackmen and women from all over Southeast
Texas came to indulge in the ThirdWards nightlife, a place where their culture
(01:41):
was prevalent and celebrated in nineteen thirtynine, when it opened, Blues and
jazz at the El Dorado Ballroom providedpatrons with respite, if only briefly,
from the Jim Crow laws that dominatedthe surrounding areas of the city and Houston's
outlying small town. The El Doradohad plenty of local talent, but the
(02:04):
nightclub's house orchestra often backed the greatstoo, like James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald,
Ray, Charles, Edda, James, and Little Richard. In nineteen
seventy, twenty one year old HoustonBlack Panther leader Carl Hampton was killed in
a gun battle between militants and police. His death likely an assassination. What
(02:30):
is a fact is that Hampton,as only a young man, was largely
responsible for the creation of the RainbowCoalition in Houston's Third Ward, in which
the Mexican American Youth Organization and theJohn Brown Revolutionary League, a group of
white community activists, the namesake ofwhich was a staunch and militant white abolitionist,
(02:53):
worked alongside his Black Panthers to demandchanges for working class families and the
poor. There After the civil rightsmovement, Houston, of course, became
desegregated, and black folks too beganleaving the Third Ward for the suburbs.
Police in the Tray had also developeda larger presence and more aggressive demeanor,
(03:17):
and police brutality in the Third Wardwas something of a commonality. Those two
factors were heavily among the things responsiblefor the area's decline until gentrification began occurring
in the twenty tens, a seeminglyinevitable occurrence in modern times, particularly in
(03:38):
areas as rich with history and asbeautiful in architecture as Houston's third Ward.
Texas Southern University came to the ThirdWard in nineteen forty seven and was established
specifically to offer black folks in Texasthe same educational opportunities that were already offered
(04:00):
to their white counterparts in dozens ofuniversities across the state. For decades,
the school was plagued by efforts tosubvert its cause, but TSU was pivotal
in Houston's civil rights movement. Innineteen sixty, after students organized the cities
first sit in at A Weingarten's grocerystore, lunch counter, many of the
(04:25):
city's businesses decided to desegregate. HadTSU never come to the trade, the
communities decline might have happened much morerapidly than it did. But for many
decades, the university has attracted thearea's best and brightest, from motivated community
activists to artists and intellectuals. Theuniversity, specifically the Third Good Martial School
(04:53):
of Law, is what attracted DonWilliams to the area, the daughter of
a successful and expected Houston attorney,in October of nineteen ninety three. However,
Don's otherwise idyllic story ended shockingly andin tragedy after she went missing from
Houston's third Ward. Helen Henderson wasborn on March fourteenth, nineteen sixty eight,
(05:44):
and was known by her middle nameDawn. Little can be found about
Don's childhood and adolescence, with onlyher father, Isaac Edwin Henderson or Ike,
providing insight. We do know thatDon graduated from Sharpstown High in southwest
Houston, where she was active inthe Apollo Queens, the school's drill team
(06:09):
and PEP squad. She graduated therein nineteen eighty six at age eighteen,
and her future promised to be bright. Dawn was a remarkably intelligent individual,
and her father often commented that shewas friendly and tended to get along with
just about anyone and everyone. Donwas a devout Christian and was accepted into
(06:33):
the ministry. It was originally herintention to become a pastor, but Don
struggled with what to do with herlife. Her father said aside from preaching,
she had a passion for law,and in an almost made for Hollywood,
in her conflict, Don was tornbetween the ministry and following in her
(06:56):
father's footsteps and becoming an attorney.Ultimately, Don's desire to practice law one
out. Though her father, Ikewas proud of his daughter's faith, he
beamed with pride over her decision towork alongside him. Ike was looking forward
to Don joining him at his practice, and one day he'd pass his firm
(07:20):
down to her. Don enrolled atTexas Southern University's third Good Marshall School of
Law and moved to Southeast Houston inthe city's third ward. By this time,
TSU had grown to include many undergraduateand graduate degree programs. The campus's
(07:42):
brick paths, shaded by large decadesold trees, provided students with a picturesque
walk between classes. Don worked hardand was quickly considered an accomplished student at
the historic college. During mock trialcompetitions conducted by a student group Dawn was
(08:03):
involved with, she argued her sideskillfully and with an adept understanding of the
law. She wanted to be inthe courtroom. In other words, it
wasn't just the law, it wasalso the action. As a member of
the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, Dawnwas immensely interested and very involved in extracurricular
(08:26):
activities at TSU. She held herhead high as a Tiger, the school's
mascot. In June of nineteen eightynine, twenty one year old Don Henderson
married twenty one year old Raphael AnthonyWilliams, who went by Tony. By
October of nineteen ninety three, withless than a year of school left until
(08:50):
twenty five year old Dawn obtained herlaw degree, the married couple was living
together a little less than two milesfrom the university's campus on cal At Street.
Their apartment was among a row ofbeautifully designed Tutor style for plexes built
in the late nineteen twenties. WhileDon studied Tony worked at Texas Children's Hospital
(09:13):
in the neurophysiology department, working withchildren who had sleep disorders. From the
outside looking in, Don and Tonywere an average couple with a normal,
healthy marriage, but to those Dontrusted the most, it seemed to be
anything but that. When Don Williamsreported for work at the office of Virgie
(09:37):
Mountain, the Assistant Dean for studentDevelopment at Texas Southern University, on Thursday,
October fourteenth, nineteen ninety three,she was upset. Don told Virgie
that she and Tony weren't getting along. She'd given her husband a greeting card,
Don relayed to the assistant dean,and he had torn it to pieces.
(10:01):
She pleaded with her boss to keepthe remnants of the destroyed card.
It's unclear when the event took placeand exactly what transpired. Also unknown to
us is where Don went after work, but it was the last day she
was ever seen by anyone other thanTony Williams. On the morning of Friday,
(10:37):
October fifteenth, nineteen ninety three,Don Williams's husband, Tony, drove
the couple's car to work, ared Volkswagen. He'd later say, According
to Tony just before he left homethat morning was the last time he saw
his wife. He arrived back atapartment three of nineteen oh four Calumet Street
(11:00):
that evening, he claimed, andDawn wasn't there. He was only a
little concerned at first that she wasgone, Tony said, but his worry
grew as the evening went on andhis wife hadn't returned. He began calling
relatives and friends to see if anyonehad heard from Dawn, but nobody had.
(11:24):
In fact, as he made thecalls, Tony was informed for the
first time by a friend of hersthat Dawn hadn't attended her classes that day.
The following morning, on Saturday,October sixteenth, Tony called the Houston
Police and reported Dawn's disappearance. Theonly thing of hers missing from the apartment,
(11:46):
Tony told them, were the clothesshe'd been wearing at her purse.
According to the Houston Chronicle, DetectiveRuben Anderson of the Houston Police Department's Homicide
Division took the report at the williamhome, Friends and neighborhood volunteers searched nearly
the entirety of the third Ward andbeyond looking for Don Williams, including around
(12:11):
eighty third Goood Marshall School of Lawstudents and members of TSU's Alpha Kappa Alpha
sorority. The searches were said tohave been large scale and appeared to have
begun as early as the Friday nightshe disappeared, presumably after Tony began phoning
friends and fellow students of dawn.The efforts continued into the next day,
(12:35):
and as soon as the cops wereinformed that the young woman was missing,
they assigned manpower to the effort.The search parties walked virtually every street of
the third Ward, closely inspecting vacantlots and properties, drainage ditches and roadsides.
Friends, fellow students, and relativespassed out flyers with her photograph.
(13:00):
They read missing Helen Don Williams,age twenty five, five ft four inches
tall, with hazel brown eyes anda mole on her cheek just under her
right eye. A search fund wasimmediately established, the donations of which were
accepted at the law school's student barAssociation. The funds collected there, too,
(13:24):
would be used for the employment ofa private investigator, though whether one
was hired was never reported. Don'sparents also immediately offered a six thousand dollar
reward for their daughter's safe return.The days turned to weeks and still no
clues as to Don William's whereabouts couldbe found. The missing young woman's best
(13:48):
friend, Monique commented, we covereda lot of ground. Everyone's taking it
pretty hard. Her family hasn't givenup hope, I can Erson. Don's
father expressed concerns about his daughter's disappearancefrom the start. He knew it was
foul play, and he told thepolice as much, insisting that she had
(14:11):
absolutely no reason to up and leave. Detective Reuben Anderson from Houston Homicide said
that Don and Tony's apartment showed notelltale signs of a struggle, foul play,
or even forced entry, but hewas more or less taking Tony Williams's
word for it, since the manwouldn't let police in to examine the property.
(14:35):
Neighbors in the adjoining apartments heard andsaw nothing that day, they told
police. Detective Anderson assured the publicthrough the Houston Chronicle that they were doing
everything they could to locate Don Williams. Police were following all possibilities. He
said that family and friends were providingDon's husband, Tony told newspersons from kho
(15:01):
U Channel eleven. I hope there'sno foul play, but I do know
she wouldn't go and do something likethis. In his verbal statement to police,
Tony said he had the car thatday. He insisted that she would
not have left home to walk somewherein the neighborhood. If Don had gone
anywhere, Tony was adamant she wouldhave hitched a ride with a friend and
(15:26):
would not have taken a cab.Tony was surprised to find out he said
that Don didn't attend to class,which calls into question who he thought she
was to have ridden with to class. It's unclear whether police addressed the seeming
contradiction, but they likely did eitherway. Tony Williams didn't cooperate with the
(15:50):
investigation and refused a lie detector testwhen detectives asked him to undergo one.
To be fair, Houston police historicallydid little in the third ward to gain
the community's trust. In fact,it was a common place for police manipulation,
(16:10):
over aggression and downright brutality, notto mention little to no accountability for
it. It's not difficult to imagineTony didn't trust the cops to carry out
a fair investigation. Suspicion, however, was cast on the man from the
get go, and not only bythe police. Don's father, Ike Henderson,
(16:34):
had his own suspicions about Tony.I'm convinced that he did, in
fact kill my daughter, Isaac said, and he continued with shocking revelations under
certain circumstances. I have seen Tony'suncontrollable temper. He has the need to
dominate other people. He couldn't controlher. I indicated to her that he
(16:59):
was dangerous. It was a veryrocky marriage, very comfrontational. She was
at her wits end. Don's conversationwith her boss the day before she went
missing corroborates what her father said.Ike had his idea of what happened to
his daughter, but Don's whereabouts werea mystery until almost a month after she
(17:22):
vanished, when everyone's worst fears wererealized. On Monday, November eighth,
nineteen ninety three, a crew wasclearing junk and debris that had been illegally
dumped on a dear lease in ruralMontgomery County, just north of New Caney.
It was about fifty miles north ofHouston's third ward. The crew discovered
(17:48):
a grizzly and terrible sight freshly disturbedearth dirt mounded by wild animals. After
digging and exposing the decomposed body ofan unclothed woman who'd been buried in a
shallow grave. Nearly a month aftergoing missing, twenty five year old Helen
Don Williams had been found. Thebody positively identified by dental records the following
(18:15):
Thursday, November eleventh. Don's throathad been repeatedly and brutally slashed with a
knife. An autopsy determined that shewas most likely slain the day she disappeared.
No murder weapon was found. Amember of the crew who discovered Don's
(18:36):
body later commented that it was notthe first time he'd made such a discovery
in the area by sheer coincidence.A grand jury was convening the day Don's
body was identified. Since Don's husband, Raphael Tony Williams, had hired an
attorney and refused to speak to investigatorslooking for the young woman, a grand
(19:03):
jury had been called in an attemptto force Tony to cooperate. Also subpoenad
was Kim Davis, a friend ofthe man's who testified before the court as
his alibi witness. She and Tonywere together the day Dawn went missing,
the woman told the grand jury.Since Don's body was found a few days
(19:26):
before Kim's testimony, detectives had alreadybegun investigating the murder. Houston Homicide detective
CB Douglas said that they didn't thinkDon was picked randomly. She wasn't killed
on the dear lease where she wasburied, the lawman continued. Rather,
her body was taken to Montgomery Countyafter her slaying. No clothing or personal
(19:52):
items were found buried with Dawn oranywhere else near the scene, which was
extensively searched. The Montgomery County Sheriff'soffice, however, found evidence on the
body, Houston Homicide Lieutenant Joe Kunkletold the Houston Chronicle, and they were
confident. Detectives said the forensic clueswould lead to a suspect in a matter
(20:15):
of days. That evidence was neverdisclosed to the public, and it seems
almost as likely that the statement wasmade to make a specific suspect sweat as
it was. Forensic technology at thetime couldn't do much with damaged and or
small quantities of biological evidence. Itwasn't until after Dawn Williams's body was found
(20:53):
that Houston police were able to obtaina warrant to search her and Tony's third
Ward apartment on the nineteen hundred blockof Calumet Street. They didn't find anything,
since the apartment had been cleaned withbleach multiple times since she disappeared,
and advances in crime seeing technology thatmight have been useful in this circumstance were
(21:18):
not necessarily available at the time.During the initial investigation, Houston Police Detective
CP. Douglas told the press thatthe department believed they knew who killed Don,
but they refused to identify the person. Douglas also said that Don's husband,
Raphael Tony Williams, was not asuspect, and went on to say
(21:42):
investigators were looking at quote, anybodywho really knew her. The statements were
rhetorical, confusing, perhaps purposefully deceptive, and without a doubt, partially untrue.
To the day of this recording andearly August of twenty twenty three,
nearly thirty years after the murder ofHelen Don Williams, Tony has not in
(22:07):
fact been eliminated as a suspect.On November twentieth nineteen ninety three, just
a couple of weeks after his wife'sbody was found in a shallow grave in
rural Montgomery County, fifty miles away, Tony Williams left nineteen o four Calumet
Street Apartment three and moved out ofstate. I guess he got tired of
(22:32):
seeing my face, Houston homicide detectiveCB Douglas commented. In nineteen ninety five,
two years after Don Williams vanished andwas later found murdered, Houston Homicide
Sergeant Ruben Anderson commented on the department'slack of progress. He called the case
(22:52):
frustrating. The department reiterated that theyhad a possible suspect and that they thought
more than an individual was involved,at least involved with moving and burying Don's
body. Of this theory, SergeantAnderson said, somebody had to help.
Somebody saw it, and that's theperson we're looking for right now. Investigators,
(23:18):
it seemed, were looking to flipan accomplice against the killer. They
just needed more evidence to make anarrest, he added. After eleven years.
In two thousand and four, HoustonHomicides CBE Douglas commented about Don's murder.
He told the Houston Chronicle that hefelt like he knew her, the
(23:41):
victim of the detective's oldest open case. By this time, Douglas's tight lips
had relaxed a little, and hetold the inquiring reporter that Don's husband,
Raphael Tony Williams, is a selfcentered, arrogant person who really believed in
himself. I think he was jealousof his wife. He didn't like the
(24:03):
fact that she would be an attorneysomeday and be on her own. He's
never been charged, Detective Douglas wenton, but I've never been able to
exclude him. The homicide investigator saidthat many of Tony's neurophysiology patients lived in
the New Caney rural Montgomery County area, near where his wife's body was found.
(24:29):
Tony developed personal relationships with his patients, Detective Douglas said, and often
visited them at their homes. Ithink someone helped him, inferred Douglas,
saying that the man had a lotof friends and plenty of girlfriends. Tony
Williams, to quote Douglas, gotaround quite a bit. The detective was
(24:52):
looking for someone familiar with either Donor Tony he said to give them the
information they needed to break the casewide open, but it never came.
In an interview with KHOU Houston's GraceWhite in February of twenty twenty two,
Houston Police Department Cold Case Unit detectiveDarcus Shorten said she remembered hearing about the
(25:18):
Don Williams case as a rookie detective. Now with a file on her desk,
Shorton had sent forensic evidence for testing. The results were unexpected. The
DNA profile matched an individual who wasin prison when the results came back for
a separate crime, of course,someone who is not Raphael Tony Williams,
(25:44):
the victim's husband. To make matterseven more difficult, this individual, whose
gender was not specified, was alsoincarcerated when Don was murdered. Still,
detectives wonder how the DNA ended upon the evidence. Since her body was
found, police have allowedly expressed theirbelief that whoever murdered Don had help moving
(26:10):
her body. If they know that'show this person's DNA was left. The
Houston Police continued to hold that informationclose to the chest. Don's memory and
legacy live on through the Third GoodMartial School of Laws. Helen Don William's
mock trial competition, which is notonly a challenge to participants and a chance
(26:33):
to gain as real life court experienceas possible before obtaining a law degree,
but also a high honor. Winnersand even runners up proudly displayed the program
as accolades promoting their practices. Don'sfather, Ike Henderson said in two thousand
(26:55):
and nine that the grief of losinghis daughter to such a brutal crime doesn't
go away. He'll never get tosee her obtain her goals and ambitions,
Ike said, one of which shewas so close to, having been less
than a year away from obtaining herlaw degree when she was slain. Ike
(27:17):
Henderson said the family, still afterdecades, had not come to grips with
the tragedy. Their feelings were difficultto describe, and the reality can strike
again at any time, becoming asfresh as it was the moment it happened.
We had high hopes that her lifewould be meaningful and beneficial to others.
(27:40):
Ike lamented, it's something that willnever be replaced. We cannot hate
the person who did this, butwe do want him to face justice.
If her husband, Tony Williams,did kill Dawn that justice will never come.
He has since died. If youhave any information about the murderer of
(28:06):
Helen Don Williams, please call theHouston Police Department's Cold Case Unit at seven
one three three zero eight three sixone eight, or remain anonymous by calling
Crime Stoppers of Houston at seven onethree two to two eight four seven seven.
(28:26):
If you have not already, lookfor Gone Cold on Instagram, Facebook,
and Twitter by searching Gone Cold andlooking for the Texas logo. If
you'd like to support the show andget the episodes add free, go to
Patreon dot com forward slash Gone ColdPodcast. Thanks to all of you who
support us there. It's a hugedeal to us. If you're not in
(28:52):
a position to help Gone Cold financiallybut would like to in some other way,
well I've got just the thing.Leaving us a five star rating and
written review on iTunes particularly helps Gonkold'svisibility. The more folks who find us
and listen, the greater chance someonewith information about a case here's the show
(29:12):
and comes forward with what they know. Every little bit helps, and we
appreciate y'all support immensely, however youchoose to give it sources for this episode
can be found in the episodes shownotes. Thanks for listening, y'all.
The concol podcast may contain violent orgraphic subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.
Houston's historic Third Ward, also knownby its nickname The Trey, has
as rich, important, and tragica history as any other Texas community.
(00:22):
While precise boundaries of the Third Wardare not easy to nail down, the
area is usually defined by a startingpoint at Congress and Maine downtown and then
stretching miles south and southeast at anear forty five degree angle. The boundaries
have changed over time, anyway,as has the Third Ward's demographics and power
(00:48):
as a cultural epicenter. Though theTrey's population was almost evenly split between blacks
and whites when the Wards were createdupon Houston's and Corporation, by the end
of the mid nineteenth century, whitesbegan leaving for suburban developments, the Third
Ward became mostly black and locally ownedand operated businesses there grew and thrived at
(01:17):
Dowling Street, especially the center ofthe Third Ward's business hub. The area
quickly became an important part of theblack community and culture in the following years,
and not just for Houstonians. Blackmen and women from all over Southeast
Texas came to indulge in the ThirdWards nightlife, a place where their culture
(01:41):
was prevalent and celebrated in nineteen thirtynine, when it opened, Blues and
jazz at the El Dorado Ballroom providedpatrons with respite, if only briefly,
from the Jim Crow laws that dominatedthe surrounding areas of the city and Houston's
outlying small town. The El Doradohad plenty of local talent, but the
(02:04):
nightclub's house orchestra often backed the greatstoo, like James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald,
Ray, Charles, Edda, James, and Little Richard. In nineteen
seventy, twenty one year old HoustonBlack Panther leader Carl Hampton was killed in
a gun battle between militants and police. His death likely an assassination. What
(02:30):
is a fact is that Hampton,as only a young man, was largely
responsible for the creation of the RainbowCoalition in Houston's Third Ward, in which
the Mexican American Youth Organization and theJohn Brown Revolutionary League, a group of
white community activists, the namesake ofwhich was a staunch and militant white abolitionist,
(02:53):
worked alongside his Black Panthers to demandchanges for working class families and the
poor. There After the civil rightsmovement, Houston, of course, became
desegregated, and black folks too beganleaving the Third Ward for the suburbs.
Police in the Tray had also developeda larger presence and more aggressive demeanor,
(03:17):
and police brutality in the Third Wardwas something of a commonality. Those two
factors were heavily among the things responsiblefor the area's decline until gentrification began occurring
in the twenty tens, a seeminglyinevitable occurrence in modern times, particularly in
(03:38):
areas as rich with history and asbeautiful in architecture as Houston's third Ward.
Texas Southern University came to the ThirdWard in nineteen forty seven and was established
specifically to offer black folks in Texasthe same educational opportunities that were already offered
(04:00):
to their white counterparts in dozens ofuniversities across the state. For decades,
the school was plagued by efforts tosubvert its cause, but TSU was pivotal
in Houston's civil rights movement. Innineteen sixty, after students organized the cities
first sit in at A Weingarten's grocerystore, lunch counter, many of the
(04:25):
city's businesses decided to desegregate. HadTSU never come to the trade, the
communities decline might have happened much morerapidly than it did. But for many
decades, the university has attracted thearea's best and brightest, from motivated community
activists to artists and intellectuals. Theuniversity, specifically the Third Good Martial School
(04:53):
of Law, is what attracted DonWilliams to the area, the daughter of
a successful and expected Houston attorney,in October of nineteen ninety three. However,
Don's otherwise idyllic story ended shockingly andin tragedy after she went missing from
Houston's third Ward. Helen Henderson wasborn on March fourteenth, nineteen sixty eight,
(05:44):
and was known by her middle nameDawn. Little can be found about
Don's childhood and adolescence, with onlyher father, Isaac Edwin Henderson or Ike,
providing insight. We do know thatDon graduated from Sharpstown High in southwest
Houston, where she was active inthe Apollo Queens, the school's drill team
(06:09):
and PEP squad. She graduated therein nineteen eighty six at age eighteen,
and her future promised to be bright. Dawn was a remarkably intelligent individual,
and her father often commented that shewas friendly and tended to get along with
just about anyone and everyone. Donwas a devout Christian and was accepted into
(06:33):
the ministry. It was originally herintention to become a pastor, but Don
struggled with what to do with herlife. Her father said aside from preaching,
she had a passion for law,and in an almost made for Hollywood,
in her conflict, Don was tornbetween the ministry and following in her
(06:56):
father's footsteps and becoming an attorney.Ultimately, Don's desire to practice law one
out. Though her father, Ikewas proud of his daughter's faith, he
beamed with pride over her decision towork alongside him. Ike was looking forward
to Don joining him at his practice, and one day he'd pass his firm
(07:20):
down to her. Don enrolled atTexas Southern University's third Good Marshall School of
Law and moved to Southeast Houston inthe city's third ward. By this time,
TSU had grown to include many undergraduateand graduate degree programs. The campus's
(07:42):
brick paths, shaded by large decadesold trees, provided students with a picturesque
walk between classes. Don worked hardand was quickly considered an accomplished student at
the historic college. During mock trialcompetitions conducted by a student group Dawn was
(08:03):
involved with, she argued her sideskillfully and with an adept understanding of the
law. She wanted to be inthe courtroom. In other words, it
wasn't just the law, it wasalso the action. As a member of
the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, Dawnwas immensely interested and very involved in extracurricular
(08:26):
activities at TSU. She held herhead high as a Tiger, the school's
mascot. In June of nineteen eightynine, twenty one year old Don Henderson
married twenty one year old Raphael AnthonyWilliams, who went by Tony. By
October of nineteen ninety three, withless than a year of school left until
(08:50):
twenty five year old Dawn obtained herlaw degree, the married couple was living
together a little less than two milesfrom the university's campus on cal At Street.
Their apartment was among a row ofbeautifully designed Tutor style for plexes built
in the late nineteen twenties. WhileDon studied Tony worked at Texas Children's Hospital
(09:13):
in the neurophysiology department, working withchildren who had sleep disorders. From the
outside looking in, Don and Tonywere an average couple with a normal,
healthy marriage, but to those Dontrusted the most, it seemed to be
anything but that. When Don Williamsreported for work at the office of Virgie
(09:37):
Mountain, the Assistant Dean for studentDevelopment at Texas Southern University, on Thursday,
October fourteenth, nineteen ninety three,she was upset. Don told Virgie
that she and Tony weren't getting along. She'd given her husband a greeting card,
Don relayed to the assistant dean,and he had torn it to pieces.
(10:01):
She pleaded with her boss to keepthe remnants of the destroyed card.
It's unclear when the event took placeand exactly what transpired. Also unknown to
us is where Don went after work, but it was the last day she
was ever seen by anyone other thanTony Williams. On the morning of Friday,
(10:37):
October fifteenth, nineteen ninety three,Don Williams's husband, Tony, drove
the couple's car to work, ared Volkswagen. He'd later say, According
to Tony just before he left homethat morning was the last time he saw
his wife. He arrived back atapartment three of nineteen oh four Calumet Street
(11:00):
that evening, he claimed, andDawn wasn't there. He was only a
little concerned at first that she wasgone, Tony said, but his worry
grew as the evening went on andhis wife hadn't returned. He began calling
relatives and friends to see if anyonehad heard from Dawn, but nobody had.
(11:24):
In fact, as he made thecalls, Tony was informed for the
first time by a friend of hersthat Dawn hadn't attended her classes that day.
The following morning, on Saturday,October sixteenth, Tony called the Houston
Police and reported Dawn's disappearance. Theonly thing of hers missing from the apartment,
(11:46):
Tony told them, were the clothesshe'd been wearing at her purse.
According to the Houston Chronicle, DetectiveRuben Anderson of the Houston Police Department's Homicide
Division took the report at the williamhome, Friends and neighborhood volunteers searched nearly
the entirety of the third Ward andbeyond looking for Don Williams, including around
(12:11):
eighty third Goood Marshall School of Lawstudents and members of TSU's Alpha Kappa Alpha
sorority. The searches were said tohave been large scale and appeared to have
begun as early as the Friday nightshe disappeared, presumably after Tony began phoning
friends and fellow students of dawn.The efforts continued into the next day,
(12:35):
and as soon as the cops wereinformed that the young woman was missing,
they assigned manpower to the effort.The search parties walked virtually every street of
the third Ward, closely inspecting vacantlots and properties, drainage ditches and roadsides.
Friends, fellow students, and relativespassed out flyers with her photograph.
(13:00):
They read missing Helen Don Williams,age twenty five, five ft four inches
tall, with hazel brown eyes anda mole on her cheek just under her
right eye. A search fund wasimmediately established, the donations of which were
accepted at the law school's student barAssociation. The funds collected there, too,
(13:24):
would be used for the employment ofa private investigator, though whether one
was hired was never reported. Don'sparents also immediately offered a six thousand dollar
reward for their daughter's safe return.The days turned to weeks and still no
clues as to Don William's whereabouts couldbe found. The missing young woman's best
(13:48):
friend, Monique commented, we covereda lot of ground. Everyone's taking it
pretty hard. Her family hasn't givenup hope, I can Erson. Don's
father expressed concerns about his daughter's disappearancefrom the start. He knew it was
foul play, and he told thepolice as much, insisting that she had
(14:11):
absolutely no reason to up and leave. Detective Reuben Anderson from Houston Homicide said
that Don and Tony's apartment showed notelltale signs of a struggle, foul play,
or even forced entry, but hewas more or less taking Tony Williams's
word for it, since the manwouldn't let police in to examine the property.
(14:35):
Neighbors in the adjoining apartments heard andsaw nothing that day, they told
police. Detective Anderson assured the publicthrough the Houston Chronicle that they were doing
everything they could to locate Don Williams. Police were following all possibilities. He
said that family and friends were providingDon's husband, Tony told newspersons from kho
(15:01):
U Channel eleven. I hope there'sno foul play, but I do know
she wouldn't go and do something likethis. In his verbal statement to police,
Tony said he had the car thatday. He insisted that she would
not have left home to walk somewherein the neighborhood. If Don had gone
anywhere, Tony was adamant she wouldhave hitched a ride with a friend and
(15:26):
would not have taken a cab.Tony was surprised to find out he said
that Don didn't attend to class,which calls into question who he thought she
was to have ridden with to class. It's unclear whether police addressed the seeming
contradiction, but they likely did eitherway. Tony Williams didn't cooperate with the
(15:50):
investigation and refused a lie detector testwhen detectives asked him to undergo one.
To be fair, Houston police historicallydid little in the third ward to gain
the community's trust. In fact,it was a common place for police manipulation,
(16:10):
over aggression and downright brutality, notto mention little to no accountability for
it. It's not difficult to imagineTony didn't trust the cops to carry out
a fair investigation. Suspicion, however, was cast on the man from the
get go, and not only bythe police. Don's father, Ike Henderson,
(16:34):
had his own suspicions about Tony.I'm convinced that he did, in
fact kill my daughter, Isaac said, and he continued with shocking revelations under
certain circumstances. I have seen Tony'suncontrollable temper. He has the need to
dominate other people. He couldn't controlher. I indicated to her that he
(16:59):
was dangerous. It was a veryrocky marriage, very comfrontational. She was
at her wits end. Don's conversationwith her boss the day before she went
missing corroborates what her father said.Ike had his idea of what happened to
his daughter, but Don's whereabouts werea mystery until almost a month after she
(17:22):
vanished, when everyone's worst fears wererealized. On Monday, November eighth,
nineteen ninety three, a crew wasclearing junk and debris that had been illegally
dumped on a dear lease in ruralMontgomery County, just north of New Caney.
It was about fifty miles north ofHouston's third ward. The crew discovered
(17:48):
a grizzly and terrible sight freshly disturbedearth dirt mounded by wild animals. After
digging and exposing the decomposed body ofan unclothed woman who'd been buried in a
shallow grave. Nearly a month aftergoing missing, twenty five year old Helen
Don Williams had been found. Thebody positively identified by dental records the following
(18:15):
Thursday, November eleventh. Don's throathad been repeatedly and brutally slashed with a
knife. An autopsy determined that shewas most likely slain the day she disappeared.
No murder weapon was found. Amember of the crew who discovered Don's
(18:36):
body later commented that it was notthe first time he'd made such a discovery
in the area by sheer coincidence.A grand jury was convening the day Don's
body was identified. Since Don's husband, Raphael Tony Williams, had hired an
attorney and refused to speak to investigatorslooking for the young woman, a grand
(19:03):
jury had been called in an attemptto force Tony to cooperate. Also subpoenad
was Kim Davis, a friend ofthe man's who testified before the court as
his alibi witness. She and Tonywere together the day Dawn went missing,
the woman told the grand jury.Since Don's body was found a few days
(19:26):
before Kim's testimony, detectives had alreadybegun investigating the murder. Houston Homicide detective
CB Douglas said that they didn't thinkDon was picked randomly. She wasn't killed
on the dear lease where she wasburied, the lawman continued. Rather,
her body was taken to Montgomery Countyafter her slaying. No clothing or personal
(19:52):
items were found buried with Dawn oranywhere else near the scene, which was
extensively searched. The Montgomery County Sheriff'soffice, however, found evidence on the
body, Houston Homicide Lieutenant Joe Kunkletold the Houston Chronicle, and they were
confident. Detectives said the forensic clueswould lead to a suspect in a matter
(20:15):
of days. That evidence was neverdisclosed to the public, and it seems
almost as likely that the statement wasmade to make a specific suspect sweat as
it was. Forensic technology at thetime couldn't do much with damaged and or
small quantities of biological evidence. Itwasn't until after Dawn Williams's body was found
(20:53):
that Houston police were able to obtaina warrant to search her and Tony's third
Ward apartment on the nineteen hundred blockof Calumet Street. They didn't find anything,
since the apartment had been cleaned withbleach multiple times since she disappeared,
and advances in crime seeing technology thatmight have been useful in this circumstance were
(21:18):
not necessarily available at the time.During the initial investigation, Houston Police Detective
CP. Douglas told the press thatthe department believed they knew who killed Don,
but they refused to identify the person. Douglas also said that Don's husband,
Raphael Tony Williams, was not asuspect, and went on to say
(21:42):
investigators were looking at quote, anybodywho really knew her. The statements were
rhetorical, confusing, perhaps purposefully deceptive, and without a doubt, partially untrue.
To the day of this recording andearly August of twenty twenty three,
nearly thirty years after the murder ofHelen Don Williams, Tony has not in
(22:07):
fact been eliminated as a suspect.On November twentieth nineteen ninety three, just
a couple of weeks after his wife'sbody was found in a shallow grave in
rural Montgomery County, fifty miles away, Tony Williams left nineteen o four Calumet
Street Apartment three and moved out ofstate. I guess he got tired of
(22:32):
seeing my face, Houston homicide detectiveCB Douglas commented. In nineteen ninety five,
two years after Don Williams vanished andwas later found murdered, Houston Homicide
Sergeant Ruben Anderson commented on the department'slack of progress. He called the case
(22:52):
frustrating. The department reiterated that theyhad a possible suspect and that they thought
more than an individual was involved,at least involved with moving and burying Don's
body. Of this theory, SergeantAnderson said, somebody had to help.
Somebody saw it, and that's theperson we're looking for right now. Investigators,
(23:18):
it seemed, were looking to flipan accomplice against the killer. They
just needed more evidence to make anarrest, he added. After eleven years.
In two thousand and four, HoustonHomicides CBE Douglas commented about Don's murder.
He told the Houston Chronicle that hefelt like he knew her, the
(23:41):
victim of the detective's oldest open case. By this time, Douglas's tight lips
had relaxed a little, and hetold the inquiring reporter that Don's husband,
Raphael Tony Williams, is a selfcentered, arrogant person who really believed in
himself. I think he was jealousof his wife. He didn't like the
(24:03):
fact that she would be an attorneysomeday and be on her own. He's
never been charged, Detective Douglas wenton, but I've never been able to
exclude him. The homicide investigator saidthat many of Tony's neurophysiology patients lived in
the New Caney rural Montgomery County area, near where his wife's body was found.
(24:29):
Tony developed personal relationships with his patients, Detective Douglas said, and often
visited them at their homes. Ithink someone helped him, inferred Douglas,
saying that the man had a lotof friends and plenty of girlfriends. Tony
Williams, to quote Douglas, gotaround quite a bit. The detective was
(24:52):
looking for someone familiar with either Donor Tony he said to give them the
information they needed to break the casewide open, but it never came.
In an interview with KHOU Houston's GraceWhite in February of twenty twenty two,
Houston Police Department Cold Case Unit detectiveDarcus Shorten said she remembered hearing about the
(25:18):
Don Williams case as a rookie detective. Now with a file on her desk,
Shorton had sent forensic evidence for testing. The results were unexpected. The
DNA profile matched an individual who wasin prison when the results came back for
a separate crime, of course,someone who is not Raphael Tony Williams,
(25:44):
the victim's husband. To make matterseven more difficult, this individual, whose
gender was not specified, was alsoincarcerated when Don was murdered. Still,
detectives wonder how the DNA ended upon the evidence. Since her body was
found, police have allowedly expressed theirbelief that whoever murdered Don had help moving
(26:10):
her body. If they know that'show this person's DNA was left. The
Houston Police continued to hold that informationclose to the chest. Don's memory and
legacy live on through the Third GoodMartial School of Laws. Helen Don William's
mock trial competition, which is notonly a challenge to participants and a chance
(26:33):
to gain as real life court experienceas possible before obtaining a law degree,
but also a high honor. Winnersand even runners up proudly displayed the program
as accolades promoting their practices. Don'sfather, Ike Henderson said in two thousand
(26:55):
and nine that the grief of losinghis daughter to such a brutal crime doesn't
go away. He'll never get tosee her obtain her goals and ambitions,
Ike said, one of which shewas so close to, having been less
than a year away from obtaining herlaw degree when she was slain. Ike
(27:17):
Henderson said the family, still afterdecades, had not come to grips with
the tragedy. Their feelings were difficultto describe, and the reality can strike
again at any time, becoming asfresh as it was the moment it happened.
We had high hopes that her lifewould be meaningful and beneficial to others.
(27:40):
Ike lamented, it's something that willnever be replaced. We cannot hate
the person who did this, butwe do want him to face justice.
If her husband, Tony Williams,did kill Dawn that justice will never come.
He has since died. If youhave any information about the murderer of
(28:06):
Helen Don Williams, please call theHouston Police Department's Cold Case Unit at seven
one three three zero eight three sixone eight, or remain anonymous by calling
Crime Stoppers of Houston at seven onethree two to two eight four seven seven.
(28:26):
If you have not already, lookfor Gone Cold on Instagram, Facebook,
and Twitter by searching Gone Cold andlooking for the Texas logo. If
you'd like to support the show andget the episodes add free, go to
Patreon dot com forward slash Gone ColdPodcast. Thanks to all of you who
support us there. It's a hugedeal to us. If you're not in
(28:52):
a position to help Gone Cold financiallybut would like to in some other way,
well I've got just the thing.Leaving us a five star rating and
written review on iTunes particularly helps Gonkold'svisibility. The more folks who find us
and listen, the greater chance someonewith information about a case here's the show
(29:12):
and comes forward with what they know. Every little bit helps, and we
appreciate y'all support immensely, however youchoose to give it sources for this episode
can be found in the episodes shownotes. Thanks for listening, y'all.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!