On a tragic day in Newalla, Oklahoma, the life of 34-year-old Cora Mae Ballard Henley came to a violent end. On November 11, 1929, Cora, a female, was killed in a shocking event that also claimed the lives of her two young daughters. The peaceful facade of their family life was shattered by an act of brutality that left the small community in disbelief.
The investigation into the deaths quickly revealed a grim scenario.
Authorities determined that the incident was a murder-suicide orchestrated by Cora's husband, T.M. Henley. For reasons that may never be fully understood, he turned a weapon on his own family, fatally wounding Cora and their children, six-year-old Wanda June and one-year-old Flora Bee. After committing these unthinkable acts, T.M. Henley then took his own life.
With the perpetrator deceased, the case was considered closed, leaving a grieving community to mourn the loss of the young mother and her innocent daughters. The Henley family was laid to rest together in Maud, Oklahoma, a somber end to a devastating family tragedy that left behind more questions than answers. There were no further arrests or suspects in the case, as the investigation concluded with the identification of T.M. Henley as the sole person responsible for the deaths.
