HENRY COUNTY, Va. (rbs news now) — Twenty-three years have passed since one of Henry County’s most infamous crimes — the murders of Michael, Mary, and Jennifer Short — and the case remains unsolved.

On the morning of August 15, 2002, deputies found Michael and Mary Short shot to death in separate rooms of their Oak Level home.

Michael was discovered in the garage, Mary in the bedroom.

Both had been shot in the head while sleeping.

Investigators later determined the home’s phone line had been cut.

The couple’s 9-year-old daughter, Jennifer, was missing, leading to an Amber Alert and a nearly six-week search.

On September 25, 2002, her remains were found along a stream off Gordon Road in Stoneville, North Carolina, by a man whose dogs had discovered them.

Like her parents, Jennifer had been shot in the head before being left near the creek.

Despite exhaustive investigative work, no arrests have been made.

In 2019, the Short family home was destroyed in a fire.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined,

In 2021, a renewed multi-agency task force — including the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, and the FBI — began re-examining the case with advanced forensic technology.

The community continues to hold an annual memorial ride to honor Jennifer, raise scholarship funds, and keep public attention on the case.

Authorities are offering a $62,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at 276-638-8751, Crime Stoppers at 276-632-7463 or 336-349-9683, or the FBI tip line at 1-800-225-5324.

Copyright 2025 by Romero Broadcasting System, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, rewritten, or redistributed.