HENDERSON v. THE STATE
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The case revolves around Gavin Henderson, who was convicted by a DeKalb County jury for malice murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. The charges were related to the fatal stabbing of his sister, Kiara Henderson. Henderson was indicted for these charges on September 11, 2018, and found guilty on all counts on July 9, 2021. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for malice murder, among other sentences for the remaining charges. Henderson filed a motion for a new trial, which was denied by the trial court.
The case was then brought to the Supreme Court of Georgia. Henderson argued that the trial court erred in admitting prior-acts evidence, failed to charge the jury on the law of voluntary manslaughter, and committed cumulative errors that require reversal. The Supreme Court of Georgia, however, found Henderson's claims of error to be without merit. The court affirmed the trial court's order denying Henderson's motion for a new trial. The court found that the evidence of Henderson's prior violent acts was admissible for purposes of proving his intent, and that there was no evidence to support giving an instruction on voluntary manslaughter. The court also found that Henderson failed to demonstrate any trial court error that would warrant a new trial.
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