Ronald Jack Henderson

Ronald Jack Henderson, a 29-year-old man known as "Ronny," was a carpenter by trade who had been driving for Armdale Taxi in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for five years. He was a married father with two young daughters, one just six years old and the other 18 months old at the time of his death. He was working to support his family, a job that would tragically place him in the path of his killers.

On the evening of Saturday, April 5, 1986, Henderson was on duty. At approximately 10:50 p.m., he picked up two male passengers on Herring Cove Road in Halifax. The ride was short, ending in the suburban Spryfield neighborhood. In front of a home at 90 Withrod Drive, an altercation broke out between Henderson and his two fares. Witnesses saw the struggle outside the taxi. The two men attacked Henderson, stabbing him multiple times before leaving him critically injured on the side of the road.

The assailants then fled the scene in Henderson's own taxi. Emergency services were called, and Henderson was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries were too severe. He died shortly after arriving. His stolen cab was later discovered abandoned in the parking lot of a local school. The suspects were described by police as two young white males, likely in their late teens or early twenties, both with long hair.

The Halifax Regional Police immediately began a homicide investigation. In the days that followed, the community mourned the loss of the young father. His funeral drew about 500 people, and in a powerful display of solidarity and grief, a procession of nearly 200 taxi cabs followed the hearse through Spryfield to Fairview Cemetery in the pouring rain. Because Henderson did not have life insurance, a trust fund was established to support his wife and two young daughters.

Over the decades, the case has remained open, passing to the Halifax Regional Police's Integrated Criminal Investigation Division. Investigators have repeatedly made public appeals for information, believing that there are people who have knowledge of what happened that night and who was responsible. On the 35th anniversary of the murder, police issued a statement urging those with information to come forward. "We hope that the passage of time will encourage someone to come forward with what they know," the release stated. "It is never too late and what might seem like an insignificant detail may help progress the investigation."

As of April 2026, marking the 40th anniversary of the crime, Ronald Henderson's murder remains an active and unsolved investigation. Police continue to believe that new information could be the key to finally closing the case and bringing justice to his family.

The case is part of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program. A cash reward of up to $150,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Ronald Jack Henderson. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Rewards Program at 1-888-710-9090 or the Halifax Regional Police at 902-490-5020.