Sherri L. Asbury Pearson: 1993, Kendallville, Indiana

   

  Sherri L. Asbury Pearson was born on June 17th, 1966 to Joyce and Thomas Asbury.  She grew up in Princeton, West Virginia.  She was well liked and very active in sports at school. 

  

  In 1988 Sherri L. Asbury married Michael Pearson in Lisbon, Indiana.  It’s a tiny town just a few minutes south of Kendallville. Both of those small towns are northwest of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Sherri worked at a factory, Handy and Harmon Automotive Company in the Quality Control Department. The couple had two children Chelsey and Derek. 

   In September of 1993 she and her husband had separated. Her husband Michael and the children were spending the night at a relative’s home. 

   A fire broke out at 1214 Garden Street. Sherri died of smoke inhalation in that house fire on September 12th 1993. 

   At first people thought how sad it was but how lucky that the children weren’t at home. Chelsey was only a year old and Derek was only three. At first, faulty wiring was blamed. It appeared to be a very sad but common tragedy. 

   But, thankfully, investigators took a closer look. In October, Indiana State Fire Marshals determined that a flammable liquid had been poured in several places in the home.

  Batteries had been removed from the smoke alarm. 

  An autopsy determined that Sherri had been drugged. The official ruling was that Sherri Pearson had been murdered. Despite being drugged she managed to struggle to the living room. But, she was overcome by smoke and did not make it out the door. 

  Sherri was buried in her hometown of Princeton, West Virginia. 

  Sherri did not get to raise her children.  She missed so many milestones. She did not get to see either one start kindergarten. She wasn’t there for ball games and recitals. She did not get to see her children graduate or get married. She will never meet her grandchildren. 

  

  Perhaps you know something that could help investigators solve this case. Perhaps you saw something in 1993 that did not seem important then but seems very important now. 

   

   If you have information about the murder of Sherri L. Asbury Pearson please call the Indiana State Police at 

(260)432-8661 or (800)552-0976.