An Etobicoke man who brutally stabbed his parents to death and attempted to stab his brother to death, and when that failed, tried to pin the murders on him, has been sentenced to life in prison.
Superior Court Justice Joan Barrett has given Alpha Henry a parole ineligibility period of 17 years after finding him guilty of the second-degree murders of his parents Colin and Veronica Henry, to be served concurrently with a 14-year sentence for the attempted murder of his brother, Daniel Kwame Henry.
Alpha, 32, showed no emotion Friday as Barrett reviewed the disturbing facts of the case and pointed out that had Daniel not fought back, he might have met the same fate as his parents.
“In this case, the offences are brutal in nature. The accused moral blameworthiness is significant and given he has shown no insight into his offending behaviour, his rehabilitative potential is little,” Barrett said.
On Sept. 21, 2022, at around 1:40 a.m., police were called to Unit 417 at 27 Bergamot Ave. in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, where they found Alpha inside the unit.
The lifeless bodies of Veronica Henry, 67, and her husband Colin Henry, 68, were found in the bathtub.
After a judge-alone trial, Barrett found that Alpha had murdered both parents by repeatedly stabbing them to death in their own home. In addition to knife wounds, Veronica had blunt force injuries to her face, including a fracture to her nasal bone.
Alpha then dumped his parents’ lifeless bodies in the bathtub one on top of the other, then doused their bodies in gasoline.
After attempting to clean up the apartment, he messaged his brother from his mother’s cellphone and asked him when he would be returning from a work trip abroad. His brother worked as a flight attendant for Air Canada.
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“When he learned he was not due to return until the next day, he made the most of his time,” Barrett said in her reasons for sentence. “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.”
Barrett told court that Alpha also returned to the apartment with a plan to ambush his brother, which failed because Daniel fought back.
“Alpha pivoted and cast the blame for the murders on his brother. The police quickly realized the ruse and released Daniel Henry unconditionally,” Barrett said, noting that Daniel was never charged.
Alpha, who did not testify at trial, was 28 years old at the time. Court heard that he grew up in a stable, religious family.
Colin and Veronica were active members of the Kingsview Village Seventh-day Adventist Church and religion was an important part of their everyday life.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, Janet Bernard, a friend of the Henrys, recalled how Colin was a deacon and Veronica was a community service leader who regularly volunteered at the church food bank. The couple were avid gardeners who maintained a garden on the church property. Colin donated the food they grew.
“They gave so much of themselves but asked for nothing in return,” Bernard wrote.
Veronica’s nephew Alton Dikey wrote in his victim impact statement that his aunt was a truly amazing person. He said his aunt taught him about the importance of forgiveness but said that Alpha ought to be punished for his crimes.
“I ask the accused, think of how your actions have impacted the family,” he wrote. “We will never get my dear Aunt Veronica and her beloved husband Colin back. This was a tragic act. There is no winner. My aunt will be deeply missed but forever loved,” Dikey wrote.
Yvonne Henry D’Avalir, Colin’s sister, wrote in her victim impact statement that the murder of her brother, the youngest of seven siblings, has forever impacted the family.
“Colin would supply my family with vegetables. On a daily basis, I ask myself why this incident had to happen. What happened to them is unforgettable because they deserved to be here with us. Our family is not the same knowing how they were taken. I hope there will be justice,” Henry D’Avalir wrote.
Barrett noted that Alpha has had some past encounters with the law but no prior criminal record. At the time of the stabbings, he was estranged from his family and had been since May 2021.
“His mother found him temporary housing, but he appeared to have been homeless from May 2021,” Barrett said.
“He continues to deny responsibilities for the offences and maintains that his brother is the perpetrator. He believes the court has misinterpreted the circumstantial evidence,” Barrett explained, adding that he has declined his statutory right to address the court before the passing of the sentence.
Barrett noted that Daniel has not returned to work in the aviation industry since the murders. She said that although his physical injuries were minor from the struggle for the knife with Alpha, the emotional and psychological harm is no doubt severe.
“Daniel has been left with no family and initially was falsely accused of murder,” she said.
The judge said mitigating circumstances include the fact that Alpha had some mental health challenges at the time, was homeless, is a young Black man and has no prior record.
Barrett said that but for Daniel’s ability to overpower his brother, this would have been a planned and deliberate first-degree murder.
“He went to Canadian Tire, purchased a knife set and sharpener. He then chose the largest and laid in wait to ambush his brother. The attack was carried out with much determination and ferocity,” Barrett said.
Alpha has spent roughly three-and-a-half years in jail since his arrest in September 2022 and will be eligible for parole in September 2039.
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