The cold case of Cheryl Ann Callaway's murder, a chilling crime that seized the city of Arlington in fear for decades, remains unsolved after 50 years. Callaway was viciously stabbed to death with an ice pick outside the now-destroyed Forum 303 Mall back in 1974. Despite the vicious nature of the attack and the presence of several witnesses, the case has left detectives grasping at straws, with the killer's identity still a mystery. According to NBC DFW, Cheryl was just 18 at the time of her death, the brutal attack occurring only months before her wedding.
The incident took place on January 30th of that year, as Callaway was believed to be shopping for a birthday gift for her fiancé. Witnesses recall hearing screams and seeing a male figure repeatedly stab her with an ice pick before fleeing the scene in a white Oldsmobile Cutlass. Despite attempts by witnesses to intervene and aid Callaway, they were unable to catch the man's license plate, only offering a vague description of a young, muscular man. "The first case we did was Carla Walker, and I remember running into Cheryl's name at that point,” Vincent Strange, host of the 'Gone Cold: Texas True Crime' podcast, told NBC DFW in an interview.
Investigations were intense following the murder, with Arlington police assigning a squad of ten men to the case and even offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Despite these efforts, the case has stagnated, with Arlington Police admitting some physical evidence was lost in the 1980s. The last substantial lead has long since dried up, leaving behind a legacy of grief and unanswered questions. The family, particularly Stephen Harris, who would have been Callaway's brother-in-law, is still haunted by the memory and the brutal nature of the crime. "Her memory at least deserves to live and the person that did this deserves justice, and I just wish the Arlington Police Department would do more than they've done,” Harris said in a statement obtained by NBC DFW.
The case still hangs over the city even as the former Forum 303 mall location has moved on to become a business and industrial park. While the Arlington Police Department doesn't have a designated unit for cold cases, "homicide detectives still investigate them as time permits," spokesperson Tim Ciesco explained to the Star-Telegram. Ciesco noted the department is always willing to employ newer forensic technology and investigate fresh leads, should they arise. Despite the passage of time, there is still a flicker of hope that new information might surface to finally provide closure for a case as tenacious in the memories of Arlington's residents as it is elusive in its resolution. Anyone with information on the Callaway murder is encouraged to contact the Arlington Police Department Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County.
