Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 21 to 27 of 27

Thread: Rhonda Jean Carlson Sentenced to LWOP in 2015 AL Multiple Murders

  1. #21
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Wife receives plea deal to testify against Christopher Henderson in murder trial

    By Tiffany Thompson
    WAFF News

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The jury selection process continues on Tuesday in the Christopher Henderson trial.

    Henderson is the man accused of working together with Carlson to kill his other wife named Kristen, her mom, her nephew, and her son. He is facing the death penalty in this case.

    DEAL FOR RHONDA CARLSON

    During jury selection, prosecuting attorneys talked about a possible deal between the District Attorney’s office and Rhonda Carlson. She is the wife that’s accused of working with Henderson in the alleged crimes.

    WAFF 48 confirmed with prosecuting attorneys that Carlson has been offered a deal. Attorneys say she is cooperating with the State and will testify against Henderson. In return, the state is taking the death penalty off the table in her case and she will do life without parole.

    JURY SELECTION UPDATE

    About 130 potential jurors were called in for this case, according to attorneys. This group was broken up into different panels for questioning.

    On Monday, Judge Chris Comer told one of the panels of potential jurors they would not be sequestered if they were chosen to serve as a juror. Instead, he said it would be their responsibility to make sure they didn’t see anything on social media or in other forms of media.


    Judge Comer said he expects 12 jurors and six alternates to be selected for the trial. Judge Comer said the pool will have a high number of alternates because of COVID-19 preparedness.


    WAFF 48 caught up with attorneys on both sides of the case.


    “In capital cases, I might say there’s a heightened level of scrutiny on who gets to serve, who is qualified to serve as a juror in this case, but absolutely the burden of proof remains with the state,” said Henderson’s Defense Attorney Bruce Gardner.


    “It is serious but it’s like any other case. There’s going to be evidence. It’s going to be the burden of proof is the same. You make the same decisions based on the evidence in the case and kind of discard all the pressure and the gravity on it. It’s really the same process,” said the District Attorney’s Chief Trial Attorney Tim Gann.

    https://www.waff.com/2021/06/22/wife...-murder-trial/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  2. #22
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Related:

    Jury selected, opening arguments scheduled Thursday for Christopher Henderson’s capital murder trial


    By Kelley Smith
    WHNT News

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The jury selection process in Christopher Henderson’s capital murder case took eight days, but it finally wrapped up late Wednesday afternoon. Opening arguments will begin Thursday morning for the jury trial.
    <aside>
    </aside>12 jurors and 6 alternates were selected. This is the most alternate jurors the prosecution and defense attorneys have ever had in a case. The state only requires two.

    This case presents a few unique challenges for jurors. First, how long this trial could potentially take, which could be several more days.

    This is a capital case. Which means if Christopher Henderson is found guilty the death penalty will be on the table.

    Then there’s also the graphic nature of this case. Henderson is accused of killing his 9-months pregnant wife, the unborn baby, two other children, and his mother-in-law at a home in New Market. After that, its alleged he and his first wife lit the house on fire.
    <aside>
    </aside>“It’s horrific what happened there, and some people are just not going to be able to handle it. And we’re trying our best to sift through that. And find the folks who can actually sit on this case and still be fair while viewing something worse, the worse things they will ever see in their lives,” said Time Gann, Madison County lead trial attorney.

    Wednesday afternoon, individual jurors were questioned by the prosecution and defense. Many of the questions centered around their views on the death penalty.
    <aside>
    </aside>This case hasn’t only created challenges for jurors. The alleged crime occurred back in 2015. Since then obstacles have come about that have prevented the case from going to trial sooner.

    “I will tell you that we were supposed to try this case in June 2020, but COVID came in and we were not allowed to have jury trials. It could’ve been a year earlier, but that still would’ve been a long time. The reason is the volume of the material. It’s just incredible how much stuff there is to get through both by the state and by us,” said Bruce Gardner, Henderson’s defense attorney.

    https://whnt.com/news/jury-selected-...-murder-trial/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  3. #23
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Related/Edited:

    Christopher Henderson found guilty of murdering 5 people

    By News 19

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – After four days of testimony and nearly two days of deliberation, the jury has reached a verdict in the Christopher Henderson murder trial.

    Henderson has been found guilty on all 15 counts:

    Eli Sokolowski:

    • guilty– Intentional murder of a victim under the age of 14
    • guilty– Intentional murder committed during the course of first-degree burglary
    • guilty– Intentional murder during arson in the first degree

    Clayton Chambers:

    • guilty– Intentional murder of a victim under the age of 14
    • guilty— Intentional murder committed during the course of first-degree burglary
    • guilty– Intentional murder during arson in the first degree

    Loryn Brook Smallwood:

    • guilty– Intentional murder of a victim under the age of 14
    • guilty– Intentional murder committed during the course of first-degree burglary
    • guilty–Intentional murder during arson in the first degree

    Four capital murder charges in the death of Kristen Smallwood:

    • guilty –Intentional murder committed during the course of first-degree burglary
    • guilty– Murder of two or more pursuants in the course of one scheme or course of conduct
    • guilty– Intentional murder during arson in the first degree
    • guilty— Intentional murder during the course of violating the protection order a victim issued against the defendant

    Two counts of capital murder in the death of Jean Smallwood, Kristen’s mother:

    • guilty– Intentional murder committed during the course of first-degree burglary
    • guilty– Intentional murder during arson in the first degree.Henderson is accused of killing five people at a New Market home in 2015 before setting it on fire.

    The victims were identified as Henderson’s 9-months-pregnant wife Kristen Smallwood, her unborn baby Loryn Brooke Smallwood, her 8-year-old son Clayton Chambers, her one-year-old nephew Eli Sokolowski, and Kristen’s mother, Jean Smallwood.

    The trial began last Friday with the jury hearing from a deputy whose body camera video showed the house on fire, a medical examiner who outlined injuries the victims suffered, and home security video showing Henderson at the scene the day of the killings.
    The jury spent all day Wednesday deliberating, but couldn’t come to a verdict.

    Jurors began deliberating at 9 a.m., broke for lunch at noon, resumed deliberating at 1 p.m., and asked Comer to clarify a few things around 2 p.m., including a definition of complicity and “starting and maintaining” in regards to arson.

    Later in the afternoon, they asked for an index of exhibits, but the court didn’t have one. They also asked Comer what would happen if they couldn’t reach a verdict.

    Comer responded that the jury hadn’t deliberated long enough.

    Jurors spent eight hours deliberating on Wednesday and about seven hours on Thursday to reach a verdict.

    Court will resume Friday morning for the penalty phase, where the jury will decide if Henderson should be sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole or given the death penalty.

    https://whnt.com/news/huntsville/ver...-murder-trial/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  4. #24
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Related:

    Jury recommends death penalty for Alabama bigamist found guilty of killing 5

    By William Thornton
    AL.com

    A Madison County jury today recommended the death penalty for Christopher Henderson.

    The jury voted 11-1 in favor of recommending the death penalty on all charges for Christopher Henderson, who was found guilty last Thursday.

    Henderson will be officially sentenced October 14. He will be held without bond until then.

    Henderson was accused of killing Kristen Smallwood Henderson, her unborn child, her mother and two children on Aug. 4, 2015. Nearly two years after the killings, a Madison County grand jury indicted the couple.

    Kristin Smallwood Henderson, 35, was nine months pregnant with Henderson’s child at the time of the killings. Her 8-year-old son, Clayton Daniel Chambers, her mother, Jean Smallwood, 67, and her 1-year-old nephew, Eli Sokolowski, were also killed. The bodies were inside a New Market house engulfed in flames when authorities arrived.

    Christopher Henderson’s first wife, Rhonda Carlson, testified earlier in the trial that he planned and carried out the killings.

    She said when she brought a gas can to the home, she saw two of the victims and didn’t think anyone was alive in the home. Christopher Henderson then poured the gasoline and lit a fire, she testified. Carlson took a plea deal to avoid a possible death sentence.

    https://www.al.com/news/2021/07/jury..._medium=social
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  5. #25
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Edited:

    Plea hearing set for Alabama woman charged with 18 counts of capital murder

    By William Thornton
    AL.com

    A Madison County judge has set a hearing for Sept. 23 for a woman charged with 18 counts of capital murder.

    According to WHNT, an attorney for Rhonda Carlson confirmed in a status hearing today that she will enter a guilty plea.

    Earlier this month, a Madison County jury recommended the death penalty for Carlson's husband, Christopher Henderson, who was found guilty on 15 capital murder charges related to the deaths of five people in 2015. Carlson reached a deal with the prosecution to testify against him in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.

    https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/2...al-murder.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  6. #26
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    7,316
    Plea hearing moved for woman charged with 18 capital murder counts

    Zach Hester

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A plea hearing for Rhonda Carlson, a woman charged with 18 counts of capital murder, has been moved from Thursday to next month.

    Carlson was supposed to appear in court on Thursday. Now, her plea hearing is set for October 27.

    Carlson is charged in connection to the murder of five people at a New Market home in 2015.

    Earlier this year, she testified in the capital murder trial of her former husband, Christopher Henderson, who was found guilty of the murder.

    Carlson reached a deal to testify against him in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.

    https://whnt.com/news/plea-hearing-m...er-counts/amp/
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

  7. #27
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Rhonda Carlson sentenced to life in prison without parole for 2015 New Market murders

    By Bobby Stilwell
    WHNT News

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A woman charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of five people in New Market was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Wednesday.

    Rhonda Carlson, wife of convicted mass murderer Christopher Henderson, agreed to testify against Henderson to avoid the death penalty prior to Henderson’s trial.

    Henderson, who was sentenced to death in October, never divorced Carlson before marrying Kristen Smallwood, one of the five victims in the 2015 murders.

    Carlson testified that Henderson had already attacked all five victims by the time she entered the New Market home where the murders took place.

    Erin Atkins, Carlson’s attorney discussed her client's sentence with News 19 Monday.

    “She certainly acknowledges and accepts responsibility for her portion and the crime, which is why we’ve agreed to a plea. She acknowledges that she was involved, she acknowledges that she had a part to play and that she can be held legally responsible for the deaths based on Alabama law. “That means that there are no loopholes, there’s no possibility for her to get out,” she said. “A lot of people think life without parole means there might be a chance that they could still get out, not life without parole, not in Alabama. So she is going to be in prison for the rest of her life, she will never see the light of day. That is because she had a substantial part in the events. We believe that she just wasn’t as culpable as he was. We believe that he kind of led or masterminded the event.”

    ATTORNEY ERIN ATKINS

    As part of the plea deal, Carlson waived her right to a jury trial and separate sentencing hearing.

    https://whnt.com/news/huntsville/rho...arket-murders/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •