Keith and Belinda Henry: Rob and Kill For My Man

In the twisted world of crime, some couples are bound by more than just love—they’re united by a dark and deadly pact. Keith and Belinda Henry’s tale is a chilling example of how far one can go in the name of devotion. Delve into their shocking story, where love meets crime, and discover the terrifying lengths they went to for each other.

Unveiling the Henrys: Belinda and Keith Henry

Having gone through two divorces, Belinda was a single mother with a good job and two children she deeply loved and cared for. A law-abiding citizen with no criminal history, beneath the surface, Belinda battled loneliness and low self-esteem, a struggle her children recognized. Hoping to bring joy into her life, they encouraged her to find love and companionship—tragically leading her to Keith Henry. He was the man for whom she would ultimately sacrifice everything, including her children and her own life.

Keith, an aspiring model with a criminal past, had served five years in prison for robbery. Upon meeting Belinda, he presented himself as everything she desired in a man, showing kindness to her children and attentiveness towards her—qualities she had longed for in previous relationships. Their whirlwind romance quickly led to marriage, but the reality of their life together soon set in as Keith had no stable income, and the couple struggled financially.

Seeing no other way out of their financial woes, Keith persuaded Belinda to consider a life of crime to make ends meet. Despite not being inclined towards criminal activity, Belinda, driven by a desperate desire to salvage her marriage and provide for her children, reluctantly yielded to Keith’s demands. Together, they hatched a plan to rob a check cashing business where Sheila Dates worked, intending to force her to open the safe at gunpoint.

Horror Unmasked: The Heinous Crimes

Posing as FBI agents, Keith and Belinda , the Bonnie and Clyde of modern times deceived Sheila Dates into allowing them into her home, which she shared with her 21-year-old daughter. A recent burglary at the check cashing store where Sheila worked led her to believe the “agents” were there to question her about the incident. However, their true intentions soon became clear as they bound and gagged Sheila’s daughter before demanding the alarm code and safe combination from Sheila. The complex security system, requiring access through three separate doors, meant they needed Sheila’s cooperation to reach their target.

Using Sheila’s daughter as leverage, Keith ordered his wife to drive Sheila to the business and steal the money from the safe, threatening to harm Sheila’s daughter if she refused. He planned to remain at the house, holding the daughter hostage while ensuring her safety. A silent exchange of terrified glances spoke volumes between the mother and daughter. The daughter’s eyes pleaded with Sheila to comply with the criminals’ demands. Belinda, growing impatient, forcefully escorted Sheila at gunpoint towards the check-cashing store.

But to her horror, he instructed her to kill Sheila, determined not to return to prison, especially for leaving witnesses behind. Dedicated to Keith, the mother of two apologized to Sheila before strangling her with a rope. Mistakenly thinking she was asleep, Belinda disposed of the car and returned to Keith. However, Sheila was, in fact, alive and well and immediately contacted the authorities. According to CaseLaw, she told detectives:

While attempting to open the safe, Dates was told that she was chosen as a victim because she had no husband and was, therefore, “more vulnerable” than her co-worker.   Once the safe was opened, she was bound and gagged with a plastic bag. After speaking with her husband by phone, Henry’s wife strangled Dates with a rope. However, she survived the attack and called for help when she regained consciousness.

The police accompanied Sheila back to her house, where she made the devastating discovery of her daughter’s lifeless body. Keith had taken the young woman’s life a mere fifteen minutes after their departure for the bank. In the throes of unimaginable grief, Sheila managed to gather her strength and provide the authorities with a detailed account of the crime and the perpetrators. She even assisted in the creation of a composite sketch. Meanwhile, the killers, oblivious to Sheila’s survival, were holed up in a motel room, watching the news unfold when they were confronted with the shocking revelation that Sheila was still alive.

Unfazed by their crime, they recklessly squandered their ill-gotten gains until they were penniless. Desperate, Keith manipulated Belinda Henry into becoming his accomplice in a bank robbery, assigning her the role of getaway driver. Despite her deep reservations, Belinda, ever loyal to her husband, reluctantly agreed, sacrificing her freedom and the well-being of their children to appease him. The heist proved successful, with Keith absconding with $17,000, which he promptly used to purchase a Mercedes Benz.

Following a thorough investigation, law enforcement successfully identified the perpetrators and tracked their whereabouts to New Jersey using cell phone tower data. The FBI, having surrounded their motel room, contacted them and instructed them to surrender peacefully.

After their investigation, police eventually identified the culprits and used cell phone towers to locate them in New Jersey. The FBI called the room where they were staying and told them to come outside as they were surrounded. Overwhelmed with guilt and unable to face the prospect of confronting her children and answering for her actions, Belinda Henry tragically shot herself in the head. Shaken by the events, Keith ultimately chose to surrender, was arrested, and confessed to the crimes he had committed.

No Escape: What Happened at Keith Henry’s Trial?

FindLaw reported:

After pleading guilty to murder and related crimes, Keith Darnel Henry waived the right to have a jury determine his sentence. The trial court found beyond a reasonable doubt that Henry committed the murder while engaged in burglary, armed robbery and kidnapping with bodily injury. Based on that finding, the trial court sentenced him to death.

Ultimately, Keith successfully appealed his death sentence. FindLaw reports that the courts determined the prosecutors had made “unsupported allegations that Henry posed a future danger…” Remarkably, Henry managed to convince the courts that he deserved a chance to live, despite having denied Sheila and her daughter that same mercy. As a result, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

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Murderers Shattered Legacy

This tragic tale is a stark reminder of the consequences of lacking self-love, respect, and the confidence to make sound choices. The woman seemed to prioritize her survival and the protection of her children until she was swayed by the first man who acknowledged her existence. Immersed in a life of crime, Keith showed no consideration for Belinda or their children, prioritizing his selfish desires above the well-being of his family. As a result of his actions, his children are now motherless, Sheila is left with deep psychological scars and the enduring grief of losing her daughter, and Keith will spend the rest of his days behind bars.

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