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7 years after their disappearance, the bodies of a pair of Houston friends visiting Austin have yet to be found

Saturday, April 2, 2016, was the last time Sidney Taylor and Krislyn Gibson were seen alive.

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police need the public's help getting key evidence in a 7-year-old cold case

Saturday, April 2, 2016, was the last time Sidney Taylor and Krislyn Gibson were seen alive. 

The two friends had traveled from Houston to Austin in Taylor's black 2010 Dodge Charger. They planned to stay the weekend with a man named Jared Hemphill. 

After arriving at Hemphill’s home at around 11 p.m. on April 1, they dropped off their bags and headed out for the night.

At approximately midnight, the two stopped by 6808 Montana St. to pick up an acquaintance named Harvey “Hootie” Cyphers. The trio then drove to The Landing Strip, an adult entertainment club in southeast Austin.

At 2 a.m. on April 2, surveillance video showed the three walking out of the club. That was the last anyone saw of Taylor and Gibson. 

Shortly afterwards, Austin police questioned Cyphers. Police say things didn't add up.

“The suspect’s cellphone evidence and his statements did not match what he was telling us as far as his location and what he had done after his disappearance,” Austin Police Department Det. Guillermo Salinas said.

According to investigators, financial records show Cyphers bought cleaning supplies and fresh towels. The Dodge Charger the trio was riding in was found days later in Houston on the 2400 block of Milam Street. 

Within walking distance was a Megabus station. Police learned Cyphers had purchased a ticket to travel back to Austin.

Police spotted blood stains in Cyphers' bath tub and living room. Biological evidence was discovered in the Dodge Charger. But to this day, investigators have yet to find the bodies of Taylor and Gibson.

“Key evidence will be the location of the bodies or any kind of evidence that will point out and lead us to what happened to the bodies,” Salinas said.

The night of their disappearance, cellphone records noted tower activity in the middle of a large rural tract of land near Lockhart, in Caldwell County. Police searched a gravel pit for days but found nothing.

However, the landowner said that Cyphers was one of only a few people who had access to that property.

Credit: Austin Police Department

Earlier this year, Cyphers was imprisoned after he was found guilty of tampering with evidence. But police need to find the bodies of Taylor and Gibson in order to pursue stronger charges. 

If you have any information regarding the pair's disappearance, call Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS (8477). You can also visit the Crime Stoppers website. You may remain anonymous, and tipsters are eligible for a reward up to $1,000.

KVUE Daybreak's Yvonne Nava will be shining a spotlight on several Central Texas cold case as part of a monthly series called KVUE Crime Files.

Yvonne Nava on social media: Facebook | X | Instagram

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