Alpha Henry, 32, was sentenced on March 27, 2023, by Superior Court Justice Joan Barrett to life imprisonment with a 17-year parole ineligibility period for the second-degree murders of his parents, Colin Henry, 68, and Veronica Henry, 67.
He was also sentenced concurrently to a 14-year sentence for the attempted murder of his brother, Daniel Henry, whom he initially tried to blame for the killings.
The Brutal Murders
In September 2022, Alpha Henry brutally murdered his parents in their Rexdale, Toronto apartment by repeatedly stabbing them. After killing his parents, Alpha Henry soaked their bodies in gasoline, further shocking the investigators.
Police were called to the scene on September 21, 2022, at approximately 1:40 a.m. When they arrived, they found Alpha at the apartment along with the lifeless bodies of his parents in the bathtub.
During the trial, it was revealed that Veronica Henry had also sustained blunt force trauma to her face in addition to the stab wounds.
Alpha’s Actions After the Murders
After the murders, Alpha attempted to clean the apartment, messaged his brother, Daniel, from his mother’s phone, and inquired when he would be returning home from an international work trip.
When Daniel told him he wouldn’t be back until the next day, Alpha decided to carry on his day. He stole cash from the apartment, visited a sex worker, and even returned with pizza.
However, Alpha’s plan did not stop there. He came back with a knife, intending to attack his brother, Daniel. A struggle ensued between the two, and Daniel successfully wrestled the knife away from Alpha.
Alpha then fled to a nearby gas station and falsely told a 911 operator that Daniel had attacked him and killed their parents. He attempted to cast the blame for the murders on his brother, but the police quickly saw through the deception and released Daniel, who was never charged in connection with the murders.
The Sentencing
During the sentencing, Justice Barrett described the offenses as “brutal in nature” and highlighted Alpha’s lack of remorse for his actions. “The accused’s moral blameworthiness is significant, and given he has shown no insight into his offending behavior, his rehabilitative potential is little,” Barrett said.
The court also noted that had Daniel not fought back, he too might have been killed.
Family and Community Impact
The victim impact statements presented in court painted a picture of Colin and Veronica Henry as “kind, compassionate, and caring individuals” who were deeply involved in their faith and church community.
Colin’s sister, Yvonne Henry D’Avilar, expressed in her statement: “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.”
She also shared that her life would never be the same, and their memory would live on in the family’s hearts.
Friend of the family, Janet Bernard, described the Henrys as “the epitome of dignified humility and loving generosity,” noting that they had given so much without expecting anything in return.
