32-Year-Old Man Gets Life Sentence After Trying to Frame His Brother for Their Parents' 'Brutal' Murders

Alpha Henry was found guilty of the 2022 murders of his parents, Colin Henry, 68, and Veronica Henry, 67

NEED TO KNOW

• A Toronto man has been sentenced to life in prison after framing his brother for the murder of their parents
• Alpha Henry, 32, was found guilty of the second-degree murders of his parents, Colin Henry, 68, and Veronica Henry, 67, per local media outlets
• Colin and Veronica were repeatedly stabbed in their apartment in September 2022, and Alpha also attempted to attack his brother Daniel

A Toronto man has been sentenced to life in prison after framing his brother for the murder of their parents.

Alpha Henry, 32, was sentenced by Superior Court Justice Joan Barrett on Friday, March 27, and given a parole ineligibility period of 17 years after he was found guilty of the second-degree murders of his parents, Colin Henry, 68, and Veronica Henry, 67, according to Global News, the Toronto Star, and the CBC.

His life sentence is to be served concurrently with a 14-year sentence for the attempted murder of his brother, Daniel Henry — whom he tried to blame for the murders.

Colin and Veronica were repeatedly stabbed in their apartment in the Rexdale neighborhood of Toronto in September 2022, before Alpha soaked their bodies in gasoline, according to Global News and CBC.

Police were first called to the Henrys' apartment on Sept. 21, 2022, at around 1:40 a.m. local time. They discovered Alpha, as well as his parents' bodies in the bathtub.

During his trial, the judge found that Alpha had murdered both parents by repeatedly stabbing them to death. Veronica also had sustained blunt force injuries to her face, according to Global News.

As he attempted to clean the apartment, he messaged Daniel from his mother's phone and asked him when he would be returning home after an international work trip.

"When he learned he was not due to return until the next day, he made the most of his time," Barrett said during the sentencing, the outlet reported. "With the apartment clean, he stole cash he found in the apartment. He sought the services of a sex worker before returning to the apartment with pizza."

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Barrett said that Alpha also returned to the apartment with a plan to attack his brother with a knife. After the two struggled and Daniel wrestled the knife out of his hands, Alpha ran to a nearby gas station and asked someone to call 911, telling the operator that Daniel had attacked him and killed their parents, per the Star.

"Alpha pivoted and cast the blame for the murders on his brother. The police quickly realized the ruse and released Daniel Henry unconditionally," the judge said, noting that Daniel was never charged in the murders.

During the sentencing, Barrett reviewed the facts of the brutal murder case and said that if Daniel had not fought back, he might have also been killed.

"In this case, the offenses are brutal in nature," she told the courtroom, per Global News. "The accused moral blameworthiness is significant and given he has shown no insight into his offending behavior, his rehabilitative potential is little."

In several victim impact statements, Colin and Veronica were remembered as "kind, compassionate, and caring individuals" who valued their faith and were dedicated members of their church.

Colin Henry's sister, Yvonne Henry D'Avilar, wrote in a statement read aloud in court that "what happened to them is unforgettable, because they deserved to be here with us."

"Our family is not the same, knowing how their lives were taken," Henry D'Avilar wrote, per CBC. "…My life will never be the same again. They are gone, but they will forever live in our family's hearts."

"They gave so much of themselves, yet asked nor expected anything in return," added their friend, Janet Bernard, in another statement, according to Global News. "They were the epitome of dignified humility and loving generosity."

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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