An Iowa man, Henry Earl Dinkins, 51, has been found guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of 10-year-old Breasia Terrell. Breasia went missing on July 10, 2020, and her remains were discovered in a pond in March 2021 by fishermen in a rural area north of Davenport.
Dinkins, a registered sex offender with a prior conviction of third-degree sexual abuse in 1990, was charged with Breasia’s death in May 2021. Prosecutors alleged that he kidnapped and shot her to death. Breasia had been staying the night with her half-brother and Dinkins, her father.
During the trial, defense attorneys highlighted the lack of physical evidence linking Dinkins and Breasia, such as blood or semen. However, prosecutors presented testimony from Dinkins’ roommate, who stated that both Dinkins and Breasia were absent from the apartment at 3 a.m. on July 10. Prosecutors argued that Dinkins sexually assaulted and killed Breasia at a different location.
Dinkins’ son provided investigators with details about accompanying his father to a Walmart to purchase bleach and visiting a site that matched the description of where Breasia’s body was eventually found.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 11, and Dinkins faces a mandatory life sentence in prison. The trial took place at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport after a change of venue was granted by the Iowa Supreme Court.
After the judge’s decision, spectators in the courtroom erupted in cheers as deputies removed Dinkins.
Author: Ryan Scott
Just a guy