Krislyn Gibson, 35: Vanished From Texas In 2016
Authorities believe Krislyn & her friend, Sidney Taylor, were murdered by someone Taylor knew.
In 2016, 35-year-old Krislyn Gibson enjoyed a night out with her friend, Sidney Taylor. It was April 1 when they traveled from Houston to Austin, Texas, to attend the Urban Music Festival, and because they were so close to his home, Sidney called up his buddy Harvey Lester Cyphers.
It's reported that Sidney had known Cyphers for many years, so the trio eventually linked up and decided to head to a club called The Landing Strip. They stayed there until 2:00 a.m. and were captured by surveillance footage leaving the establishment, but that would be the last time anyone saw two of those people alive.
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An hour after they left the nightclub, Sidney’s other friend, Jared Hemphill, the person they were staying with in town, checked in on them to see if they were safe. Sidney told Jared that they were with Cyphers.
After those early morning hours on April 2, no one could contact Krislyn or Sidney. It didn’t take long for the loved ones of both adults to file missing-person reports, and soon investigators zeroed in on Cyphers, the last person known to be with the pair.
Just days after they disappeared, Sidney’s vehicle was found in Houston, over 150 miles away from their last location. This find piqued investigators’ interest because, in the backseat, there was a large pool of blood, and in the trunk, there was evidence of blood and hair.
A search of Cyphers’s home would uncover blood evidence as well, and when police tracked cell phones, they found that on the morning of April 2, Sidney, Krislyn, and Cypher’s phones were all on the move to Houston together.
It was also discovered that Cyphers made a few purchases from a local Walmart store that led authorities to believe that he was attempting to dispose of the remains of Krislyn and Sidney.
Harvey Lester Cyphers was officially charged with capital murder in connection with the disappearances of Krislyn Gibson and Sidney Taylor. He was reportedly arrested without incident, and his bond was $1.5 million.
In 2023, Cyphers pleaded guilty to tampering/fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair involving a human corpse. The murder charges were dropped. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Krislyn Gibson: What To Know
At the time of her disappearance, Krislyn Gibson stood 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 110 pounds. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She also had multiple tattoos: Betty Boop on the outside of her left leg, a butterfly on the top of her left foot, and the word “ONE” on her left upper thigh. Her son was eight years old when she disappeared.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Austin Police Department at (512) 974-5210 or their local authorities.
Please share this story about Krislyn Gibson and Sidney Taylor to help secure justice for them and their loved ones. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Case Number: 16-0940901
Agency: Austin Police Department
Phone: (512) 974-5250
Email: apdmissingpersons@austintexas.gov
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