For Lawana Shaw, the daily calls with her son Destin Henderson were a lifeline.
But on October 24, 2023, those calls abruptly stopped and Destin disappeared without a trace, leaving his family desperate for answers and haunted by suspicions.
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He was last seen at his apartment in the 400 block of Highland Cross in Harris County.
Destin’s mother shared her distress and confusion over her son’s disappearance.
Destin, originally from Los Angeles, California, had moved to Houston for work.
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During their final conversation on October 24, Destin told Lawana that one of his friends was there with him.
“I told him to call me back and I never got that call,” she recalled.
On October 26, the friend called and asked if Lawana’s son was alright because he hadn’t heard from him. Lawana then asked where her son was.
“The friend had my son’s work phone and started sending me pictures of the inside of my son’s home. I said, ‘what are you doing in my son’s room?’ He said he told management he was his brother and they gave him a key.”
The friend informed her that he had entered Destin’s apartment by claiming to be his brother, which management confirmed was against protocol.
Destin had previously told his mom that he was not comfortable with that friend having access to his apartment, Lawana said.
This incident, combined with the fact that the fiend had Destin’s work phone, laptop and other personal belongings, deepened Lawana’s concern.
“I don’t understand how he knew so much about my son’s belongings and had access to everything.”
Her worry intensified when the friend called again, claiming he hadn’t heard from Destin.
“You were the last person with him. . .We need to find him,” Lawana questioned.
When Texas EquuSearch searched for Destin, they found his car less than a mile from his home.
The situation took a darker turn when Lawana found a Hilton Hotel keycard with a checkout date matching the day Destin went missing. Despite efforts by Texas EquuSearch to investigate, they were unable to obtain any videos from the hotel due to the elapsed time.
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Lawana also discovered that the friend had filed a missing persons report using a different name, further adding to the confusion and suspicion.
“During our last conversation my son had an Apple tag in his car and told me that someone had gone too far with it. He said, ‘Mom, I have an Apple tag in my car,’” Lawana mentioned, indicating Destin’s awareness of potential danger.
Despite the lack of forensic evidence in Destin’s home or car indicating foul play, Lawana remains convinced that something happened to her son.
“Whatever happened to my son, there was no forensics in his home, nor his car. I’m still trying to figure out how they got him out of his home,” she said.
Lawana has been unwavering in her search for Destin, reaching out to various authorities and even traveling to Houston despite her health challenges. She has lung cancer and has undergone numerous treatments, but her primary focus remains on finding her son.
“I just can’t let my mind wander. I can’t figure it out. I’m still trying to figure out what happened to my baby,” she shared. “Despite my health challenges, I have been relentless in my search for Destin. I have lung cancer and have undergone numerous treatments, but my primary focus remains on finding my son.”
Anyone with information about Destin Lee Henderson’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Department at 713-755-7427. Destin is 39 years old, stands at 5′7″, weighs 155 pounds, and has short black hair and brown eyes.
Lawana Shaw continues to hold out hope for her son’s safe return.
“I continue to hold out hope for my son’s safe return and urge anyone who might know anything to come forward.”
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