ATHENS–After nearly four decades of questions surrounding the death of Rickey Herriage, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office announced Nov. 6 what it calls a major breakthrough in a 1987 murder, which it says brings long-awaited closure to a case that had gone cold for more than 30 years.
The investigation started March 8, 1987, at about 1 p.m., when the body of Rickey Herriage was discovered beneath a bridge on County Road 1500 west of Athens. Despite initial investigative efforts, the case remained unsolved for decades.
In 2019, Sheriff Botie Hillhouse reignited the investigation by sending clothing evidence from the scene to Pure Gold Forensics in Redlands, Calif. The lab successfully extracted a DNA profile, which was uploaded to the national CODIS database. However, no matches were found, the sheriff’s office said.
Saying they were determined to pursue every possible lead, the sheriff’s office partnered with Season of Justice, a nonprofit organization that provided partial funding for advanced DNA testing. In 2022, Othram Inc., a forensic genomics company based in The Woodlands, Texas, joined the effort to conduct further DNA analysis, the sheriff’s office shared.
The FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force also became involved, applying cutting-edge genealogical techniques to the case. Their work led to the identification of a potential suspect: Dallas Reynolds Casanova, who had lived in Henderson County at the time of the murder and later died in 2008 in New Orleans, La.
With continued support from Pure Gold Forensics, the sheriff’s office said investigators confirmed that Casanova’s DNA was present on Rickey Herriage’s clothing, alongside Rickey’s own DNA. This critical evidence linked Casanova directly to the crime, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, Season of Justice, Othram Inc. and Pure Gold Forensics all played vital roles in solving this case, the sheriff’s office stated. Sheriff Hillhouse expressed deep gratitude to the many investigators and partners who contributed to this resolution.
“This case would not have been solved without the relentless dedication and collaboration of everyone involved,” said Sheriff Hillhouse. “We are thankful for the support we received from our partners and proud of the determination shown by our team. I’m extremely proud that this new evidence can provide some answers to the family.”