Final preparations underway for memorial ride to honor murdered Henry County family

New memorial ride T-shirt design unveiled Monday

HENRY COUNTY, Va. – Pictures of 9-year-old Jennifer Short are printed on the front of the T-shirts for this year's Jennifer Short Memorial Ride.

Ride organizer Ray Reynolds got the shirts Monday.

He decided to put pictures of Jennifer on the front after remembering her picture being on so many of the posters that were distributed throughout the community when authorities searched for her in 2002 after her parents were found dead.

"Why not put it on a T-shirt so everybody can wear it in remembrance of the family," said Reynolds.

On August 15, 2002, Jennifer's parents, Mary and Michael Short, were found shot to death in their home.

Six weeks later, Jennifer's body was found in Rockingham County, North Carolina.

She had also been shot to death.

No one has ever been arrested and no suspects have been identified, but Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry says new leads occasionally come in, including just a few weeks ago.

"That particular lead is still being worked on," Perry said.

A poster sits in the lobby of the sheriff's office as a constant plea for information and a constant reminder that the sheriff's office has not given up on the case.

"(The crime) struck an emotion in our community that has never gone away," Perry said.

Reynolds lived next door to the Shorts when they were murdered and says he will continue to organize the ride until the case is solved.

"We want somebody to be arrested, we want somebody to be convicted," said Reynolds. "The only thing we pray is that it's not somebody local."

This year's ride will be the biggest yet, with over 50 sponsors.

All of the money donated by the sponsors will fund scholarships for local high schoolers.

The ride will take place August 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Victory Baptist Church in Fielddale.

Two hundred T-shirts have been made and are available for $10. T-shirts will be sold the day of the ride, provided all of them are not sold before the ride.