living room with her shirt pulled above her head,  with several small puncture wounds on her chest  believed to have been caused by scissors.

But the medical examiner determined Cheryl died from manual strangulation -  strangulation by hand. 

Lisa was also found dead - shot in the chin and neck area. She also had a gunshot wound to her hand and bullets lodged in her back.

The original investigation generated a large number of leads - people at the Main Act bar, former boyfriends, acquaintances, the  two weirdos,  a possible male arriving at the house, telephone callers, a Red Apple Restaurant suspect description, a distinctive vehicle, and later composite comparisons, but no suspect has been named.

The families of Cheryl Kemp and Lisa Schwartzkopf have been waiting for answers since 1981. Now, Warren police are trying to give them hope by reopening the cold case. (Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.)

Destroyed evidence

And then, in 1988, some of the physical evidence disappeared.

In 1999, police got a call from Cheryl's father, Clarence Kemp, who inquired about the investigation.

 All of the evidence recovered from the crime scene, with the exception of latent fingerprints, had either been destroyed or released,  the report said.

According to the case file, that evidence included bullets and shell casings, weapons, clothing, hair, fingernail scrapings, and many other items collected during the original investigation.

Some blood and urine samples were sent to the Michigan State Police laboratory. The mistake became clear when the department conducted an evidence inventory in 1989.

 We would like to get some closure. It's been far too long,  Welsh said.

 [Someone] murdered two people who were very young and had their whole lives to live, but they got cut short,  Lewis said.  Please help out. 

Warren police said a newer detective is now taking another look at the case while working with Michigan State Police. They said advances in technology and new DNA resources are among the reasons they continue reviewing cold cases.

 It's crazy to know that someone out there is still alive and… probably has a family,  Welsh said.  Maybe has grandkids and in the back of their head they know they've murdered two people. 

The families of Cheryl Kemp and Lisa Schwartzkopf have been waiting for answers since 1981. Now, Warren police are trying to give them hope by reopening the cold case. (Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.)

Know something?

Warren police said, technically, the case had never been closed, and they're asking anyone with information about the killings of Lisa Schwartzkopf and Cheryl Kemp to call Warren Police at 586-574-4810.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.