Richard Henyard

Richard Henyard
mug shot of Henyard
Born	June 26, 1974
Died	September 23, 2008 (aged 34)[1] Florida
Criminal penalty	Death sentence
Criminal status	Executed
Conviction(s)	Double murder, kidnapping, sexual battery, armed robbery[1]

Richard Henyard (June 26, 1974 – September 23, 2008) was an American murderer executed in Florida for the double murder of 7-year-old Jamilya Lewis and 3-year-old Jasmine Lewis in January 1993 in Eustis, and the rape of the sisters' mother during the same day.^[2]

Crimes

On the evening of January 30, 1993,^[3] Dorothy Lewis and her daughters arrived at a Winn-Dixie supermarket in Eustis. As Lewis, the eventual survivor, and her daughters, the victims, entered the Winn-Dixie, she noticed a few people sitting on a bench near the doors. After Lewis exited the store with Jamilya, age 7, and Jasmine, age 3, she walked to her car and placed her daughters in the front passenger seat. As Lewis crossed the rear of the car to get to the driver’s side, she noticed Alfonza Smalls approaching her. As Smalls neared, he revealed a gun tucked into his waistband. Lewis and her daughters were ordered into the back of the car as Smalls and Henyard entered the front. The Lewis car left town with Henyard driving and Smalls issuing directions. Prior to the abduction of Lewis and her daughters, a female witness observed Henyard and Smalls loitering outside of the Winn-Dixie. During the drive, Smalls repeatedly demanded that Lewis keep her crying daughters quiet.^[4] Later, Henyard pulled the car over at a remote area and pulled Lewis from the car. Henyard forced Lewis against the trunk and raped her. Henyard then told Lewis to sit on the ground. She hesitated, and Henyard shot her in the leg and forced her to the ground. He then shot her an additional three times at close range, wounding her in the mouth, neck, and on the forehead between the eyes. After she was unconscious, Henyard and Smalls rolled her over to the shoulder of the road.

Lewis survived, however, and several hours later regained consciousness and went to a nearby house for help. The occupants contacted the police and Lewis collapsed and waited for the officers to arrive. As Henyard and Smalls drove away from the scene of the shooting, Jamilya and Jasmine Lewis repeatedly asked for their mother. Henyard pulled the car over after a short period of time and removed the girls from the car. Henyard and Smalls took the girls away from the road, out of the clear view of passersby, and killed both Jamilya and Jasmine with a single bullet to the head.^[5] Henyard and Smalls then threw their bodies into some brush over a fence.

Smalls, Henyard, and a third individual arrived at the home of Bryant Smith in a blue car. Henyard boasted about raping and killing Lewis, unaware that she was still alive. He also showed Smith the gun he used. Later that evening, Henyard went by the Smalls’ residence where Colinda Smalls, Alfonza’s sister, noticed blood on Henyard's hands. He explained that the blood was from a minor knife accident.

On January 31, the next day, Henyard's aunt, Linda Miller, agreed to drive him to Smalls' residence so that Henyard could speak with Smalls. Henyard made a trip to the Eustis Police Department that same Sunday claiming to have information concerning the Lewis case. He offered knowledge of the crime, and claimed that he was present at the scene of the crime. Henyard’s initial story pointed to Smalls and another individual as the perpetrators. However, when an officer noticed blood spots on Henyard’s socks, he admitted to kidnapping, raping and shooting Lewis, yet maintained that he did not shoot her daughters. The police apprehended Smalls and discovered the murder weapon after a search of his bedroom. The autopsies of the girls confirmed that they were killed by a single gunshot wound at close range and that Jasmine’s eyes were open when she was shot. Analysis of the blood spots indicated that Henyard was less than four feet from the victims when they were shot.

Autopsies of victims

The autopsies of Jasmine and Jamilya Lewis showed that both girls died of gunshot wounds to the head and were shot at very close range. Powder stippling around Jasmine’s left eye, the site of her mortal wound, indicated that her eyes were open when she was shot. One of the blood spots discovered on Henyard’s socks matched the blood of Jasmine Lewis. “High speed” or “high velocity” blood spatters found on Henyard’s jacket matched the blood of Jamilya Lewis and showed that Henyard was less than four feet from her when she was killed. Smalls’ trousers had “splashed” or “dropped blood” on them consistent with dragging a body. DNA evidence was also presented at trial indicating that Henyard raped Lewis.

Execution

Henyard was sentenced to death on August 19, 1994, and put in lockdown. Henyard's death warrant was signed on June 9, 2008.^[6] Henyard was the 66th execution in the state since the death penalty was reinstated in the United States in 1977.

Henyard was executed on September 23, 2008, by lethal injection. The execution was delayed by two hours because Henyard had two appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court trying to block the execution; both were denied.

References

1. "Inmate Population Information Detail - Richard Henyard". Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
2. "Executed - Richard Henyard - Florida Death Row - Scheduled Execution : Pro Death Penalty Information - Scheduled Executions". Off2dr.com. Retrieved 2012-08-09.
3. "Home | Commission on Capital Cases". Floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-09.
4. "459 F. 3d 1217 - Henyard v. McDonough". Open Jurist. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
5. "Lawyers for Richard Henyard say evidence proves he didn't kill ...". Topix. Retrieved 2012-08-09.
6. "Richard Henyard death warrant signed". TCADP. 2008-07-09. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-09.