In the late summer of 2018, the community of West Helena, Arkansas, was shaken by the tragic loss of 20-year-old Cherrkisha 'Duh Duh' Tyisha Jones. A recent graduate of Central High School's Class of 2017, she was building a life for herself and her young son, working at a local Taco Bell. Her life, however, was cut short in an act of violence that also claimed the life of her unborn child.
On the morning of August 12, 2018, a chilling 911 call was made by Cornell Henry, a man with whom Jones had a history of domestic issues. In the recorded call, Henry confessed to killing his girlfriend and stated his intention to end his own life. He indicated that he had shot her multiple times following an argument, possibly centered around accusations of infidelity. He told the dispatcher that by the time authorities arrived, it would be too late, and their only task would be to recover her body from the river.
Following the call, Henry drove his vehicle into the Mississippi River. Later that day, law enforcement pulled the car from the water and discovered the bodies of both Cherrkisha Jones and Cornell Henry inside. The investigation that followed was treated as a murder-suicide. Authorities noted that there had been prior domestic incidents involving the couple. A bullet fragment was recovered from the vehicle and sent to the state crime lab for analysis to determine the type of weapon used in the tragic event that ended a young mother's life.
