Beverly Hensley, a 34-year-old White / Caucasian woman from Charleston, West Virginia, was killed late on the night of December 26, 2023, inside a residence at the Orchard Manor apartment complex in the 2000 block of Lippert Street. The shooting happened the day after Christmas, turning what should have been a quiet holiday week into a devastating crime scene. Charleston police responded around 11:30 p.m. and found Hensley suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 9-month-old baby girl was also inside the home when the gunfire erupted. Police said the child was wounded, suffering grazing injuries, including injuries reported to her chest and hand or thumb. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment, and officials indicated her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. The presence of the infant made the case especially painful, as investigators later said the child was being picked up by Hensley as the shooting unfolded.
Investigators quickly identified Dominick Curtis Gray, 38, of Columbus, Ohio, as the suspect. According to court and police reports, investigators learned that Gray had allegedly admitted to another person that he had shot Hensley. He was later found and taken into custody near Hunt Avenue and Sixth Street in Charleston. Gray was charged in connection with Hensley's death and the injuries to the child.
During a preliminary hearing in January 2024, Charleston Police Detective Jonathan Hill testified that Gray admitted to shooting Hensley after an argument. Hill said Gray described losing control and said his anger got the best of him. The detective also testified that Hensley was picking up her infant daughter as Gray fired. After that hearing, the charges against Gray were bound over for a Kanawha County grand jury.
Gray was later indicted in Kanawha County on charges that included first-degree murder, malicious wounding, and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was held without bail at the South Central Regional Jail. Online reports available after the indictment described the case as moving forward in Kanawha County Circuit Court, but did not show a final trial result or conviction.
