Main suspect in stabbing death of Torrance Cheeves charged with murder

Close friends of Cheeves thankful for progress in devastating murder case

SAN ANTONIO – An arrest has been made after the murder of a well-known San Antonio man. Police say the main suspect in the stabbing death of Torrance Cheeves has been found and identified.

John Terrell Henderson-Houston, 20, has been charged with murder. Henderson-Houston was already behind bars for two other assault charges.

Joan Duckworth is elated that police have now identified the main suspect in Cheeve's murder.

"Oh that is the best Christmas present we could have hoped for," she said.

San Antonio police served a warrant Saturday on Jonathan Henderson-Houston, to find he was already in the Bexar County Jail on unrelated charges.

"I am thrilled that there's some justice," Duckworth said.

On Aug. 26 Cheeves was found stabbed to death in the back of his house in the 500 block of Blue Bonnett on the Eastside. Sunday's new information provided KSAT with Henderson-Houston's address, which turned out to be just three minutes from Cheeve's home. 

Now Duckworth wonders whether the two men knew each other.

"That's one of the questions that we're wondering about. Why would somebody want to do this to someone who was such a fine person? It doesn't make sense," she said.

Answering those questions is a top priority for Duckworth and other loved ones who feel that losing Cheeves has forever changed their community.

"I have known him for over 10 years. He worked at the State School working with handicapped and disabled kids, a wonderful guy," she said.

She laughed as she reminisced about the times Cheeves dressed in drag to help raise money for her AIDS charity event, always winning ‘tackiest outfit’ and pulling in a lot of money for donations. She said it was Cheeves who helped her make the ‘Chili Queens’ event an official Fiesta event. 

"We're heartbroken. This man was a gentle giant, wonderful sweetheart of a man. I just can't imagine that he'd come to such a terrible ending," she said.

Police are now looking for two other people who may be connected to the murder. Duckworth hopes with the public's help, they'll be found soon.


About the Author:

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.