In the early morning hours of October 5, 2008, the life of 21-year-old Caneshua Monique Henry was tragically cut short in a violent encounter in Birmingham, Alabama. A female of Black or African American descent, her death was the culmination of a domestic dispute that also left her cousin wounded. The man responsible, the father of her child, was swiftly brought into custody and faced the consequences of his actions.
The evening before the fatal incident, Allen Hinkle had visited the
apartment where Caneshua was, ostensibly to bring diapers for their child. However, the visit escalated into a heated argument between the two. In the ensuing confrontation, Hinkle fatally shot Caneshua. Her cousin, Kimyatta Henry, was also shot in the face during the altercation but survived her injuries.
A wounded Kimyatta was able to alert a nearby patrolling Birmingham police officer. She identified Hinkle as the person who had shot both her and Caneshua and pointed him out to the officer in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Hinkle was immediately arrested at the scene.
Allen Hinkle was subsequently charged with one count of murder for the death of Caneshua Henry and one count of attempted murder for the shooting of Kimyatta Henry. During his trial, evidence of a volatile relationship was presented, including testimony about a prior assault by Hinkle on Caneshua. The jury found him guilty of both charges. For the murder of Caneshua Henry, Hinkle was sentenced to life in prison, and for the attempted murder of her cousin, he received a sentence of 99 years.
