Arizona – In a disturbing case in Arizona, a 27-year-old mother, identified as R. Henry, has been sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of the tragic murders of her three young children. Henry received three consecutive life sentences last week, on February 14, on charges of first-degree murder and dangerous crimes against children, following a guilty plea that spared her the death penalty.
The chilling events unfolded on January 20, 2020, when the police were called to Henry’s home after the children’s aunt discovered the lifeless bodies of the children on a couch and dialed 911 in horror. Initially, Henry misled the responding officers, captured on body camera footage, stating, “I put them down for a nap and thought that they were sleeping,” according to reports from local news sources. However, the truth soon came to light when Henry, under police questioning, shockingly confessed to the murders of 3-year-old Zane, 1-year-old Miraya, and 7-month-old Catalaya. In a horrifying admission, she described how she sang lullabies to her children before smothering them to death as they struggled against her.
Details from the police report reveal a grim sequence of events where Henry began by smothering Miraya during what started as playful wrestling, despite the child’s desperate struggles and her brother Zane’s attempts to intervene by hitting at his mother. Henry admitted to knowing she had killed Miraya when the child stopped kicking. The violence escalated when Henry, after being briefly interrupted by the return of the children’s father and aunt, lured Zane to a back bedroom under the guise of changing his clothes. There, she overpowered and suffocated him to death by placing her hand over the boy’s nose and mouth, all while singing to him. Lastly, Henry turned her attention to the youngest, Catalaya, whom she fed and sang to until the infant fell asleep. She then fatally obstructed the baby’s breathing, methodically ensuring the child’s death before positioning all three bodies on the living room couch to make it appear as if they were taking a nap.
The aftermath of the murders left the family and community in shock and mourning, compounded by the distressing details shared in court. The children’s aunt and father, who had unwittingly stumbled upon the aftermath of the murders, were left to grapple with the unbearable reality of the situation.
During the sentencing, family members and the prosecution depicted a scene of unimaginable grief and betrayal. Prosecutor C. Sammons emphasized the lasting trauma experienced by the first responders, many of whom remain in therapy due to the distressing nature of the scene they encountered. “Some of the personnel, the first responders, are still in therapy and have been affected by what happened, even though this was five years ago. The defendant is obviously going to prison for the rest of her life because she did the unthinkable in this case, judge. She had a duty to protect her children from anyone or anything who would try to harm them. But unfortunately, in this case, she was that thing,” Sammons said
Henry, who had previously struggled with methamphetamine addiction and had her children temporarily removed from her care, claimed her actions were influenced by a lapse in judgment exacerbated by her substance abuse issues. However, the prosecution highlighted her failure to protect her children from harm, tragically noting that she became the source of their ultimate peril. The case concludes with Henry facing the grave consequences of her actions, serving a life sentence as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of her crimes on her family and the community at large. The sentencing not only brings closure to a disturbing case but also underscores the ongoing need for vigilance and support for those struggling with addiction to prevent such tragedies from occurring.
