As Judge Henry Latham read the verdict in the murder and kidnapping trial of Henry Dinkins, the accused listened intently on the right side of the courtroom. The Law&Crime Network captured the moment on camera. Meanwhile, on the inset, a photo of Breasia Terrell, the victim, was displayed courtesy of the Davenport (Iowa) Police Department.
In a recent development, Henry Dinkins has been convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Breasia Terrell. The 51-year-old was in charge of the little girl when she went missing in Iowa back in July 2020. After an extensive search, her remains were discovered the following year.
According to reports, Breasia was the half-sibling of Dinkins’ son, who goes by the initials “D.L.” The two children had spent the night at Dinkins’ apartment on the night of the tragic incident.
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On July 10, the young girl was last seen alive at Dinkins’ apartment in Davenport. According to reports, she had sent a text message to her mother, Aishia Lankford, bidding her goodnight just hours before her unfortunate demise.
On March 22, 2021, fishermen discovered her remains near DeWitt, which is approximately 23 miles north of Davenport.
During the verdict hearing on Friday, Judge Henry Latham stated with certainty that the defendant was responsible for the shooting of Breasia and that her death was a direct result of the shooting. This conclusion was reached after a bench trial in August, which was closely watched by the public.
Instead of just announcing the verdict, Latham decided that given the gravity of the offense, it was fitting to present his entire opinion.
According to Latham, D.L. played a critical role in solving the kidnapping and murder of his half-sister. He described D.L. as an instrumental figure in the investigation.
As Latham announced Dinkins’ conviction for the kidnapping and murder of Breasia, the accused remained stoic and unemotional.
As soon as Latham concluded reading his verdict and Dinkins was escorted out of the courtroom, the sound of applause filled the air. It was a moment of relief for everyone present in the courtroom.
In a recent development, Henry Dinkins has written a three-page letter to the judge accusing the state of violating various Iowa court rules. According to reports, he claimed that the state had withheld evidence from his lawyers and asserted that the prosecutors had used deception and sabotaged the whole case to fit their opinion of a theory. It remains to be seen how the judge will respond to these accusations.
According to a previous report by Law&Crime, Dinkins was released on parole in March 2020, just a few months before the tragic death of 10-year-old Breasia.
On October 11th, Dinkins will be sentenced by Latham, and unfortunately, he will receive a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole.
The emotional trial of a man accused of kidnapping and murdering a 10-year-old girl ended with a conviction, and the courtroom erupted in applause. The news of the verdict was first reported on Law & Crime, where you can find more details about this case.
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