ALLYSON ALLEN - 2 yo (2009) - Waynesboro (NE of Hattiesburg) MS

A Wayne County murder case involving alleged child abuse has once again been continued.

Officials with the Wayne County Circuit Clerk’s Office said Monday that the capital murder case of the state of Mississippi vs. Charles Zebedee Henderson has again been rescheduled.

Henderson’s case was slated to be tried during this term of Wayne County Circuit Court, which is now ongoing. However, officials have continued the case until the next term of court, according to court officials.

Henderson was arrested by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department in May 2009 and was charged with one count of felony child abuse. However, that charge was later upgraded to capital murder following the death of two-year-old Allyson Allen.

Officials said for more than two weeks, the child battled for life following a reported incident earlier in May.

A Wayne County Grand Jury indictment handed down in June 2009 states that Henderson “on or about May 7, 2009 did willfully, unlawfully and feloniously kill Allyson F. Allen, a human child, with or without any design to effect death while engaged in the commission of the felony crime of felonious child abuse or battery of a child, without authority of law: in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated Section 97-37-5.”

Henderson’s case was continued in October 2009 because a motion hearing was needed before the trial could be conducted. In January, the case was rescheduled due to another murder case being tried the week this case was scheduled.

Then in June, Henderson’s case was continued due to the amount of medical evidence involved in the case and it needed to be reviewed.

Officials said Monday that the case’s new trial date has been set for Dec. 6th.

Charles Henderson, 31, was
initially charged with felony child abuse of his girlfriend's daughter,
Allison Allen, who was in his care. Shortly after the child died and
his arrest in 2009, the charge was upgraded to capital murder.


He had been scheduled for trial Tuesday in Wayne County Circuit Court. The case was also reset in October 2009.




"They were supposed to give us a medical record back
around January, and they gave us some that we had already had," said
Leslie Roussell, Henderson's attorney. "They didn't have what we
considered crucial evidence in them and we believe that that evidence is
going to exonerate Mr. Henderson."


"What happened in this case is
that there were some injuries to the child that occurred prior to the
time that the injuries for the death occurred," said District Attorney
Bilbo Mitchell. "And the defense is trying to get evidence from a number
of doctors who had seen the child before, at a time that we don't think
is relative to the trial, but the defense wants to be sure and I
understand that."


The new date for Henderson's trial is Jan. 9, 2012.

http://www.wtok.com/news/headlines/Henderson_Trial_Delayed_Again_124678099.html?ref=099

No update found.

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