Henderson speaks out

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Richard Henderson Jr., the Florida 20-year-old accused of bludgeoning his family to death on Thanksgiving Day, spoke out in court yesterday against the advice of his attorney…

“I have something to say,” Henderson blurted out, to the surprise of his public defender, Steven Schaefer, who advised him to keep quiet. Henderson insisted, and Schaefer let him speak.

“I want to plead guilty and get this over with,” Henderson said. He was dressed in a jail-issued blue jump suit and shackled at the wrists and feet. A dozen bailiffs stood by.

He faces the death penalty if convicted.

Comments

19 responses to “Henderson speaks out”

February 23, 2006

ZappaCrappa

I give the boy credit for having the nads to do what is right instead of trying to play the system. The reaction of his public defender speaks volumes about what most of us already know and suspect about defense lawyers…which is that they really could give a shit about the truth.

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February 23, 2006

Alyric

That’s possible, of course, Zappa, but keep in mind that if the public defender *hadn’t* tried to stop him, and he plead guilty, he might later be able to turn around and get a verdict thrown out on the grounds that he wasn’t adequately represented. It seems unlikely, given his pleading guilty, but stranger things have happened. This way, whatever his attorney’s motivation, all of the bases are covered.

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February 24, 2006

ZappaCrappa

You may very well be right…it still doesn’t change my opinion of lawyers and the fact the I believe that to 99% of them, truth is the least of their concerns.

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February 28, 2006

old aquaintance

i am surprised no one has mentioned his wife and daughter. his wife filed for divorce feb. 23, 2005.

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March 9, 2006

Bruce Meyer

Man-o-man I know these folks. They were my best freinds back in the 80’s. Jr. was my little buddy . My deepest sorrows go out to the Stringers and the Hendersons.

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March 13, 2006

Mary’O

Yes I too know them Bruce and you too I think if you are the same one. I fell so bad for the families. I was once a part of this family and Richard was not brought up to be this way. I just dont know how he could do what he has done. His family did not deserve this. I pray every night that the pain will ease up on the family soon. I wish that everyone would concentrate on that instead of bashing them so much. This is not their fault.

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March 19, 2006

2nd cousib by marriage

I too am related to “Jr” by marriage. I never really had a chance to get to know him, or his parents and little brother. My husband, his second cousin always kept me away from him. From the beginning of my life with the Stringer family, all I ever seemed to hear about “Jr” was what horrible thing or another he had done. One individual made a statement in his blog that his uncle who said he was crazy was probably pissed off and was probably just as crazy. I know Steven Stringer, he is a good man, who had the misfortune of being the one who found the Hendersons bodies. So back off.The only person in either the Henderson or Stringer families who has no right to say anything about Jr, is the Uncle who enabled him to be the thing he became when he gave him crack to smoke &amp pills to pop, you know who you are and so do we. I have heard the stories of his childhood.How he threw animals into fire pits, ripped their legs off, knocked up a 12 year old. Oh,then my favorite the day he played dodgeball with his grandfathers head. The man was in a motorized wheelchair after a plane accident, the little prick stoned him in his own driveway because he was pissed off. This kid doesnt deserve the time or effort it takes to talk talk about him. What people should know about is the pain he has caused. I remember the night my husbands father called and gave us the news, I remember the drive to Fl to be his family, I saw the devistation, pain and anger he caused. I watched and listened to Steven and Gerry Stringer as they tried to cope with the horror they found in that house. Ive seen how Loyal and Sandy Stringer have withdrawln from the world over the death of their daughter, son in law and grandson at the hands of the boy they loved. This family has come together in ways you cant imagine to get over this tragedy, it’s time to leave them alone. My suggestion to the courts, let him out on a corner in Bradenton, after you call his uncles and other family member both in FL and out of state, and tell them where and when you are going to do it. It would save the people of Bradenton the cost of a trial, and noone would have to pay the cost of a funeral after he is executed, you cant bury a body you find. By the way, I found out about this site last night from some I work with in PA who also follows the story. One of my worst days, the day I had to tell my employer I had to take time off to go to FL because my husbands sick cousin murdered his family.

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March 20, 2006

Mary’O

2nd Cousin by marriage—–I am glad to see others that know how painful all this is and maybe if we keep it up everyone will quit blaming the family. Even the Uncle that you said gave him drugs is not to blame for this. Richard did what he did for some unreal reason I could not even begin to comprehend. No one is to blame but Richard. I keep in touch with the family regularly and talk to Sandy alot and you are correct it has totally changed the family. So folks go easy on us the ones that are truly grieving and will for some time to come.

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March 21, 2006

2nd cousin by marriage

Mary O,Thank you for your support, you are correct, the uncle I mentioned did not make Richard do what he did, I am sorry I said that. I think I know who you are, I am Patrick’s wife. Can you beleive this crap makes it 1200 miles away from Bradenton ? It has been a while since I spoke with family, please pass on to Sandy and Loyal that Patrick and I both think of them often, and that we wish we could find a way to help them and the rest of the family heal. We are only a phone call away to any of the Stringer’s or those affected if they need us. God bless Mary O, Our love and thoughts are with you all…

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March 22, 2006

Mary’O

2nd Cousin by Marriage—

I am sure the rest of the family knows that you and Patrick are there for them. As a family all that can be done is all be there for each other. The hard part is not over yet. God Bless you two also. As far as everything being known miles away? Bad news travels fast……. Everyone just needs to understand that this is a good family and cannot be blamed for something that they have no control over.

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April 2, 2006

S

I’m a first cousin to that Monster and that is exactly what he is. I was around until they moved to Florida and he was causing trouble back then. All his family ever did was try to help. Even when we went to visit he would cause problems. I want all this to end -Speedy trail well apparently that is not going to happen. I am just so thankful that I got to speak to my family the night before all this happened. He in time will pay and I want to be there when it happens. I miss my family

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April 4, 2006

2nd cousin by marriage

My condolences to you, I know how painful this has been for my husband, and he had distanced himself from the Henderson’s becasue of Richard’s ways.
As I said before, he kept me away and didnt want me to know Richard, Now I understand why. My heart aches for both the Henderson and Stringer families. I understand from recent calls to my father in law, that things have settled down a little,(but not before everyone had to have their phone numbers changed) but the truth is by this time next year, the pain will be brought back full force w/ the little bastards
trial starting. I know how hard it is to lose a loved one, and for it to happen like this, makes it even more tragic. Just know that there are people out here who sympathize, understand and
are hear to listen when you need to vent. That is what family, friends and extended family do. They support each other to hell and back. Remember you are not alone in your grief, anger and pain, so when you need those of us who are here for you all, lean on us,we understand, and we will help you get through the hard times ahead. Again,
my deepest condolences to you and your family. Lori &amp Phil Stringer

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April 11, 2006

S

2nd Cousin thank you for you words. I really appreciate them. Just the other day I was driving down the street thinking how nice it would be to talk to my Grandma, wanting to tell her what has been going on then reality strikes…I’ll never get to talk to her again, or my Uncle or Aunt. And my daughter will never get the chance to see Jacob again. Everytime I think about it, it makes me sick. You are lucky that your husband kept you away from him as he (the monster we call him) was plain evil. Yes, I know I’m talking about my cousin one that anyone in the world would go to the ends of the earth for. (except for those of us well, I probably should keep that comment to myselft at this point. Well anyway four of our family members did. I just hope I’m around when all this is said and done. I want to be there when they sentence him.

Anyway I think I’ve said enough for now. But I think we all share the same thoughts on him. Now it’s time for me to put my words on paper and send them to the wonderful legal system in hopes that something could will come out of it in the end.

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April 12, 2006

2nd cousin by marriage

1st cousin, I just wanted to mention this for you and for the rest of the Henderson’s, I just spoke to my sister who is a paralegal and works for the Department of Justice. Although the trials she prepares are for Federal cases, she told me to tell anyone who has been affected by this tragedy to write what is called a victims impact statement. You should write a letter to the Judge that is overseeing the trial and describe the affects that this tragedy has had on you, how it has affected you, your daughter, anyone close to you. She said although it will be hard to write, you need to put as much emotion and
detail as you can in the statement. You should talk about your grandmother, uncle, aunt, explain about your daughter never getting to know Jacob and the affects this has had on her. She said that you should request that the letter be read to the jury in his trial during the sentencing phase. She said the more impact statements the judge receives, the greater the influence will be on the jury.
I am passing this information along to the Stringer’s also.
If you go out to the Manatee County web site you can pull up all of the information about Richard’s case, and what judge is assigned to the case. I hope this is helpful to you. God bless !

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April 14, 2006

Mary’O

2nd Cousin by Marriage and S

I am just as hurt as you two are about all this, well maybe not S because it has been devastating for you I am sure to lose your grandmother like that. I just want EVERYONE to remember that there is a person hurting very badly because she not only lost her daughter,grandson,son-in-law,and a friend but she lost another son earlier in her life to a tragic accident and on top of all that her only grandson she has left is the one that did it. She has to live thru a trial and cope with all of it. Please,Please,Please think of that and have a little compassion for her. As far as the trial goes I dont see how anyone would have the desire to sit at a trial when I am sure there will be very graphic pictures of people I loved murdered. I would rather remember them in a better way. I may have to be at the trial but not because I cant wait to be there. I realize what Richard has done is un-imaginable but I just hope it does not turn out to be a circus for those in the family that it will make life worse for them.

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April 17, 2006

S

2nd Cousin by Marriage and Mary O, Thank you for your words and the information. I will start asap gathering this information about what Judge will be overseeing this trail. It will be a very difficult letter to write but I know that I have to do it. As I want him to suffer as much as my family has. Recently it has been bothering me alot more. Maybe because I feel that I will never have the closer that we all so deserve. If ever. Even though we buried their ashes that will never be enough. He took away my family and I will never forgive him for that. And I will never understand the people that loved him the most he took away from us.

Thank you again for the information.

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June 26, 2006

friend of Rich

Richard was one of my closest friends.

Don’t think that I’m a horrible person because I’m friends with him.
I knew him since before he was a drug addict.
he always had a rebellious attitude and I guess that’s what attracted me to him because I was sick of being picked on and Rich always stuck up for me.
Rich used to beat up the boys that beat me up.

I’m not saying that Rich is a good person.
I’m just saying he’s not all that bad.

what a lot of people don’t know is that he loved his family.
he loved his little brother.
he loved his mother.
he loved his father.
he loved everyone, this I can promise you.

He was on a crack binge, for over a month. He was on a xanny bar binge for months and months. He was fucked up. He fried his brain. He went insane.
I blame it on the drugs.
and I blame it on his fucking uncle.

The man who introduced these horrible things to him
The man who talked shit about Rich on the news when in the inside he’s the same fucking person.
The man who always talked about Rich’s crack problem when he was smoking crack himself.
the fucking bastard.
i’m done.
I miss Rich.
and I miss his family.
and I really don’t know what the point of this entry was.
the end.

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July 21, 2006

christina de petris

i agree with you on what you said not very many people knew rich like his close friends did.. he loved his family so much.. andyes he was doing alot of drugs and i think he was really messed up when it happened.. i talked to him not knowing what had happened till several days later.. i talked to him thursday night into fri. morning and could tell something was up but didn’t know what.. i hate what happened i miss the friend i had before this.. i miss his family.. i still get to see him. i see the emptyness and the sadness and hating himself for what happened.. i’m glad that someone just realizes what i mean and who rich really was before..

:'(

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July 10, 2007

cousin 2/family memeber

Yeah she sold the story to the enquirer to pay for it. sorry sack of shit.

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