Oral Hendricks

Case overview

Oral Hendricks was sentenced to death on February 5, 1996, after a jury found him guilty of the murder of three children connected to his common-law relationship.

Timeline

• 1992 — Oral Hendricks was 25 years old and worked as a caretaker at the Speedway Hotel at Land of Canaan, East Bank of Demerara.
• Friday, December 10, 1992 — Hendricks collected the three children from hospital officials after they had remained at the West Demerara Regional Hospital in the care of staffers.
• Saturday, December 12, 1992 — Hendricks allegedly took the three children to a canal in Depot Dam in Pouderoyen, East Bank Demerara; the children were later found dead.
• After the search began — The bodies of Travis Bunbury and Althea George were located first, and Jason Braithwaithe’s body was found later in the afternoon.
• Following shortly after — Oral Hendricks surrendered to police at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
• December 15, 1992 — Oral Hendricks was charged with murder.
• Tuesday, February 5, 1996 — A seven-man, five-woman jury found Hendricks guilty, and Chief Justice Cecil Kennard passed the death sentence.
• In 2000 — Hendricks’ attorneys filed an appeal against his sentence, but the appeal was rejected.
• In 2000 — A death warrant was read to Hendricks.
• After 2000 — Hendricks remained on death row; prison officials said he was a quiet inmate who caused no trouble.

People involved

• Oral Hendricks — accused and sentenced to death.
• Carol Braithwaithe — Hendricks’ reputed wife; common-law partner; mother of the three children.
• Jason Braithwaithe — child victim, seven years old.
• Althea George — child victim, four years old.
• Travis Bunbury — child victim, two years old.
• Chief Justice Cecil Kennard — presiding figure at sentencing when the death sentence was passed.
• Prosecutor Shalim Ali-Hack — prosecutor during the trial.
• Hendricks’ two attorneys — defence counsel who claimed an alibi and that Hendricks knew nothing of the crime.
• A witness for the prosecution — testified that the children were handed over to Hendricks on Friday, December 10, 1992.
• Prison officials — said Hendricks was a quiet inmate and caused no trouble.
• A male relative — described Hendricks as a quiet individual who was deranged at the time of the act.
• A relative who spoke briefly to Kaieteur News — suggested Hendricks was resigned to his fate.

Background

Oral Hendricks’ story was described as involving a common-law relationship with Carol Braithwaithe and her three children: Jason Braithwaithe (seven), Althea George (four), and Travis Bunbury (two). Hendricks was working as a caretaker at the Speedway Hotel at Land of Canaan, East Bank of Demerara in 1992.

Carol Braithwaithe eventually moved to Plaisance, where she allegedly had a live-in job. Hendricks was left to take care of the three children, and the situation continued for several months.

The offence

Hendricks took the three children to the West Demerara Regional Hospital and left them in the compound. The children remained at the hospital in the care of staffers until Hendricks collected them.

On the night of Saturday, December 12, 1992, police records alleged that Hendricks took Carol Braithwaithe’s three children to a canal in Depot Dam in Pouderoyen, East Bank Demerara. It was alleged that:

• He flung two-year-old Travis Bunbury into the canal and watched the child drown.
• He then did the same to four-year-old Althea George.
• He dumped seven-year-old Jason Braithwaithe into the canal, but the child managed to swim to the other end.
• Hendricks allegedly pursued Jason and slit his throat with a knife.
• Hendricks allegedly held Jason’s head underwater to ensure that he was dead.

Hendricks later went to a brother’s home in Depot Dam, Pouderoyen, where he told his sibling what had transpired. The brother and another man raced to the canal, beginning a frantic search for the missing children. The bodies of Travis Bunbury and Althea George were located first, and Jason Braithwaithe’s body was found later in the afternoon.

Investigation and surrender

Shortly after the search began and the bodies were located, Oral Hendricks surrendered to police at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station. On December 15, 1992, he was charged with murder.

Trial

During trial, Hendricks’ two attorneys claimed that their client had an alibi and knew nothing of the gruesome crime. They said Hendricks had loved the children as if they were his.

Prosecutor Shalim Ali-Hack presented evidence which showed that after the children were slain, Hendricks went to Plaisance and told his reputed wife, Carol Braithwaithe, that his sister had taken the children to the West Demerara Regional Hospital and that the authorities were refusing to return them to him.

A prosecution witness stated that the children were handed over to Hendricks on Friday, December 10, 1992, the day before they were murdered. The prosecution also provided a statement showing that Hendricks confessed to killing the children. In his statement, the accused alleged that he murdered the three children because he was angry with their mother.

On Tuesday, February 5, 1996, a seven-man, five-woman jury found Hendricks guilty.

Sentencing

Before passing the death sentence, Chief Justice Cecil Kennard asked Hendricks what he had to say. Hendricks’ response was:

“I did not commit this crime,”

Appeals and post-sentence status

In 2000, Hendricks’ attorneys filed an appeal against his sentence, but the appeal was rejected. A death warrant was read to Hendricks in that same year. Hendricks remained on death row after the rejection of his appeal.

Prison officials said that he was a quiet inmate and caused no trouble. A relative who spoke briefly to Kaieteur News suggested that Hendricks was resigned to his fate. A male relative described Hendricks as a quiet individual who was deranged when he committed the act. Some people opined that his mind had snapped after being deserted and left to take care of his spouse’s three children; however, the reasons were described as still somewhat unclear as to what transformed “quiet” Oral Hendricks into a mass murderer.

Other details

Around the same time as the Oral Hendricks case, a woman was also charged with poisoning her twin babies. She was found guilty and sentenced to death. Her sentence was overturned and she was eventually freed.