Henry John Ford was a funny, loving, and kind man who was always ready to lend a helping hand. A lifelong resident of the Saginaw, Michigan, area, the 38-year-old White man was a dedicated family man who had been married to his wife, Sherika, for 18 years. He adored his three children, Henry III, Nathan, and Maryah, and his favorite thing to do was spend time with them and his brothers. He worked as a security guard and was stationed at the Hoyt Library, where his warm personality made him a beloved figure to staff and patrons alike.
On the evening of Tuesday, September 10, 2024, Henry was at his post at the library on Janes Avenue. Around 5:40 p.m., he was shot multiple times in the building's parking lot. First responders rushed him to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
Saginaw Police Department investigators quickly determined the shooting was not a random act of violence.
Surveillance video captured the incident, which appeared to stem from a dispute. The suspect was identified as Derrick Grant, Henry's 38-year-old brother-in-law. Grant was apprehended by law enforcement shortly after the shooting.
Grant was arraigned on September 13, 2024, on charges of open murder, felonious assault, and felony firearm. He pleaded not guilty and was held without bond in the Saginaw County Jail to await trial. During the court proceedings, Grant’s defense argued that he had acted in self-defense. In October 2025, a Saginaw County jury rejected that claim and convicted him of second-degree murder and using a firearm to commit a felony.
In January 2026, Saginaw County Circuit Court Judge Darnell Jackson sentenced Derrick Grant for the murder of his brother-in-law. He was ordered to serve 35 to 60 years in prison for the second-degree murder conviction. That term was set to begin after he completed a mandatory two-year sentence for the felony firearm charge.
