Anika Marie Henderson, a 17-year-old female, was fatally shot and killed in South Bend, Indiana, on November 8, 2021. At the time of her death, Henderson was a senior at Washington High School and had recently earned her welder certification. She was remembered as a beloved daughter and sister who was loyal to her friends and family.
The incident occurred as she was sitting in a car near Randolph Park.
The events leading to her death began less than two hours prior, following a court hearing concerning child custody and separation involving Henderson's boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend, Alexis Willocks. After the hearing, Henderson and Willocks reportedly arranged to meet for a physical altercation. Henderson's boyfriend, who was present at the time of the shooting, identified Willocks as the person who pulled the trigger. An investigation ensued, and in late December 2021, the South Bend Police Department publicly sought help in locating Willocks, who was 19 years old at the time and considered armed and dangerous.
Alexis Willocks was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and criminal recklessness in connection with Henderson's death. The case proceeded to trial, where a jury found Willocks, then 21, guilty of both charges in March 2023. The prosecution described the act as a 'pre-meditated murder,' stating that Henderson had been shot in the back of the head. The motive was determined to be a dispute over Henderson's relationship with Willocks's ex-boyfriend, who was the father of Willocks's child.
During her sentencing in May 2023, Willocks maintained her innocence, claiming she had been driving to what she believed would be a fistfight and had no intention of killing anyone. She offered condolences to Henderson's family for their loss. The court sentenced Alexis Willocks to 50 years in prison for the murder of Anika Henderson. Five years of the sentence were suspended, to be served on probation upon her release.
