In the early morning hours of April 12, 2019, the life of 30-year-old Stephan S. Cannaday, a Black male from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was tragically cut short. His body was discovered in an alley near 67th and Villard by a passerby, the victim of a fatal shooting. An autopsy would later reveal that he had sustained six gunshot wounds. The incident that led to his death was not a random act of violence but rather a calculated plot that ended in his murder.
Investigators pieced together the
events of that fateful morning through surveillance footage from a nearby residence and the testimony of a witness. The footage captured a car pulling into the alley around 3:15 a.m., from which two individuals emerged. One of the figures could be seen raising an arm and firing at Cannaday before both quickly re-entered the vehicle and sped away from the scene. The motive behind this violent encounter became clearer as the investigation progressed. A witness eventually came forward and admitted to having set Cannaday up to be robbed.
Based on the evidence and witness statements, two suspects were identified and arrested in connection with the homicide. Delshun Carter, 25, and Amir Henderson, 24, were both charged with felony murder as parties to a crime. According to the criminal complaint, the plan was to rob Cannaday of heroin and $700. The witness informed police that Carter and Henderson had orchestrated a minor car accident, rear-ending Cannaday's vehicle to lure him out. When Cannaday exited his car to assess the damage, the two men confronted him with firearms.
Following their arrests, the legal process began. Amir Henderson made his initial court appearance on November 15, 2019, where his bond was set at $75,000. The case against both men highlighted the devastating consequences of a robbery that escalated to murder, leaving a family to mourn the loss of a loved one and a community to grapple with the senseless violence that occurred in their neighborhood.
