Eric Henry Speaks

UPDATE, July 18, 2008: Life In Prison For Man Who Killed Grandmother
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UPDATE, April 25, 2008: Guilty verdict in duct-tape homicide
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In today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Crocker Stephenson writes about Eric Henry, accused murderer.

Here, in part, is what Henry told police. Portions of the confession have been edited for brevity:

Henry: You left me in here, man, and I told her I was sorry, and I apologized for doing this to her.

Detective: What would she tell you to say?

Henry: The truth. When you tell the truth you feel a lot better, and the light start shining on you again. You can take a black moon, you can take a black cloud off you, it can stop raining, so to speak, and you'll start to see the sunlight again.

I'm feeling a whole lot better with that black cloud off my head.

Henry tells police that he and a friend, Ron Wood, plotted to rob someone, perhaps Gordon. Wood testified Tuesday that he and Henry never made such plans and that on Dec. 12, the day of the murder, he was in Whitewater most of the day and never saw Henry. Several witnesses corroborated Wood's alibi.

Henry: I took my mama to work. Then I went home, and I called Ms. Gordon, and I just asked her, man, I really need her to pray for me because I felt like I was going on the wrong track.

I went down there. She prayed for me. I felt good, like I'm on the right path now. Then I was fixing to leave, I looked up and (Wood) was at the door.

I was coming out the door, he was coming walking, you know what I'm saying, he's coming to her driveway. You know I'm saying?

That (expletive) was like, "Come on, dog. That where she stay?" I was like, "Yep." I told him, I say, "No. No, not her." I was in such a good mood from having her pray with me.

I said, "Dog, she done prayed for me. Let's go."

He went upstairs, I just stood there at the door with door closed. And I was like, "Damn. What is he fixing to go up there and do? Is he going to do something to her?"

I pray he don't. I'm hoping that he don't. Then I heard her scream, "Somebody help me!"

I felt defenseless so I went back upstairs. She had blood coming out the side of her mouth. I said, "Dog. Come on, dog. Let's just go. She was like a baby just.

She was like, "I promise I ain't going to call the police on you. Eric, I love you, and I know you having hard times right now. I know you wouldn't do this to me on purpose.

He went around there to the kitchen and grabbed the tape and threw it to me. He was like, "Dog, just tape her up."

I just blacked out or whatever you want to call it. Like I said, I do have something mentally wrong with me. I need help, you know what I mean? I just wasn't thinking and just did it.

Detective: Did she say anything to you?

Henry: She just kept saying, "Lord, Heavenly Father, help me."

And then he was like, "Dog, put the tape on her mouth. Just in case she start screaming later on."

Henry tells the detectives he taped her ankles, hands and mouth. Then he covered her eyes with tape.

Detective: What is she saying when her frickin' eyes are taped shut?

Henry: She just said, "Lord, Heavenly Father, forgive them for what they are doing."

And I just really, I mean, like I said, then I went home, man. I could just keep hearing her say that. "Lord, Heavenly Father, forgive them for what they going to do."

Gordon's hands were taped in a position of prayer. The detective asks Henry why.

Henry: I just felt it was appropriate to put her hands in prayer because she was saying a prayer for somebody.

According to medical testimony, Gordon's entire face was tightly wrapped in tape. A plastic bag was placed over the tape and sealed with tape at her neck. It took Gordon as long as two minutes or so to suffocate.

The detectives tell Henry that large parts of his story make no sense. How did Woods know where Gordon lived? Why did he not call police for help? They start to go through the events again, but Henry stops them.

Henry (crying): I just want to go upstairs, man. It just hurt, man, knowing I was there when he killed this woman.

I just want to talk to my mama. I need to talk to my mama, man. I want to talk to my mama, man.

Tell my mama I'll be back. I've got to do all this time, man, and be by myself. And it is possible she might not be there for me no more. I love my mama, man.

The recorded interview ends here.

That's absolutely chilling.

Reposted, from December 19, 2007:

I consider what Eric Henry did to Anne Gordon, pastor of St. Anne's Cathedral Holy Church of Deliverance, to be torture. It's incomprehensible to me.

Anne Gordon spent her last moments on the floor of her townhouse, praying to God for the man who was wrapping her face in duct tape during a robbery, according to a criminal complaint.

The man, who officials say was 30-year-old Eric Henry, considered Gordon to be his grandmother.

Henry was charged Tuesday with Gordon's death, the Milwaukee County district attorney's office said. Family members said Henry, of Brown Deer, is the stepson of Gordon's son Paul.

Gordon, a 75-year-old pastor, died from asphyxiation because of the duct tape placed over her airways, medical examiners said. She was found on her back, and her body was bruised and partially covered with area rugs.

...Henry recalled Anne Gordon saying, "I promise not to call the police on you Eric, I love you and I know you're having a hard time," the complaint says.

...Anne Gordon said, "Lord Heavenly Father, forgive them for what they're going to do," moments before Henry duct-taped a plastic bag over her head, according to the complaint.

Even as she prayed for him, he showed her no mercy. Henry was actually killing the woman he considered to be his grandmother while she prayed for him.

How could he prey on her like that? How could he?

He killed Gordon for $300. That's what her life was worth to him. It's nauseating.
From TMJ4:

Prosecutors say Eric Henry, Gordon’s grandson, confessed to killing her and the motive was robbery. He allegedly asked Gordon for $300 because his girlfriend needed an abortion. He claims Gordon said no.

Henry told police he duct taped Gordon’s ankles together and taped her hands together as if she were praying. Henry said the entire time she was praying and asking God to forgive him. She stared at him and he taped her eyes and mouth shut then put a plastic bag over Gordon’s head and left.

...Henry's attorney will argue another man in the apartment forced Henry to kill Gordon.

“My client basically at trial will testify the other person put a gun to him and made him participate,” attorney Robert D’Arruda said.

Police are still investigating that claim.

The claim that another man was involved in the robbery and he FORCED Henry to kill his grandmother is far-fetched.

How could Henry ever go along with killing his beautiful grandmother? Why didn't he refuse? Why didn't Henry fight the other man if necessary? Wouldn't death be better than living with killing your grandmother?

(We've since learned that Wood, Henry's friend, has an alibi.)

Gordon's grace as she was being murdered by someone she loved is remarkable. Her faith in God was so great that she could pray for Henry as he killed her. That's a godly act. It's inspiring beyond words.

She was goodness and love personified.

And Henry... what can I say about him?

I fall far short of Gordon's goodness. I'll leave it at that.