Lawrence Hensley

Case record: Lawrence Hensley

Background

Lawrence Hensley was described by neighbours as a private, church-going man who had lived quietly for years at the same small house with his wife. A former colleague at the car parts factory where he worked said he called him weird. A neighbour and former co-worker said Lawrence Michael Hensley was an emotionally troubled man who liked to dissect animals, once spoke of wanting to cut up people after watching them die, and once was involved with a satanic group.

Neighbours Sheri Kimbler and her cousin Tosha Barrett were both 16. Amy Mikesell was 14. Brett Wildermuth was 37. Hensley was 30.

Reverend Ben Davis of the First Church of God confirmed that Hensley's involvement in satanic worship and the occult came up during counseling and said: "We believe that there is a spiritual warfare; there is a conflict between good and evil, right and wrong." He said Hensley appeared to be headed for victory in his battle for faith in God until police found the first three bodies.

Cheryl L. Cai, Ms. Kimbler's mother, said she believed Hensley killed the girls because he feared his sex secrets were close to being revealed.

One girl told authorities Hensley tried to lure some youths to his house for sexual reasons.

Police Captain Dean Kimpel said investigators were examining suggestions that Hensley (known as Mike) and Wildermuth were rival leaders of a religious cult who had fallen out over sharing sexual favours from the teenage girls. Authorities said Hensley had been involved in devil worship but was receiving counseling at the church, which was not effective enough.

A family member who asked to remain anonymous said Hensley broke ties in October with a satanic group based in neighbouring Logan County, where he worked. The family member said cult members ran Hensley's car off the road and beat him, made crank calls to his home, slashed his tires, and harassed him at work. The family member said: "I don't know what in the world happened, but something went wrong." The woman pleaded with Hensley to surrender and said: "Tell him that his family loves him and wants him home safe. No matter what happens, we're still family."

Jeff Wheeler, quality assurance manager, said: "He was trying to get away from the occult," and that Hensley was a good employee and worked there about two years.

Lisa Perin, who lived across from Hensley, said she worked with him at a local janitorial service six or seven years earlier and said: "One night he made me stop along the side of the road because of some road kill, and he dissected it." She added: "He cut all the organs out of it and wanted to take it home with him. He thought that was neat." On another occasion she said: "He told me it would be neat to hurt somebody, watch them die and then dissect them," and that the mother of one of the murdered teens believed her daughter was killed to cover up a sex crime.

Michael Adkins, the uncle of Amy, said there may have been an early warning sign because one of the girls confessed to her mother that Hensley was paying the girls to watch sex acts. He said the mother threatened to call the police but did not when the girls promised not to go back to Hensley's house. Adkins said the mother reportedly confronted Hensley about the accusations, but nothing was done.

Authorities said Hensley had been involved in devil worship and was receiving counseling at the church, but it was not effective enough.

The offence

On the day of the killings, Hensley killed three teenage girls and a Bible study teacher and wounded a 22-year-old woman.

Sherry Kimbler and Tosha L. Barrett were blasted with a shotgun in Hensley's bedroom. Amy Mikesell’s body was found stabbed and stuffed into a basement cupboard.

A 22-year-old woman, Veronica Eagy, was shot in the leg and shoulder and escaped by breaking a window and crawling across the yard.

Brett Wildermuth, a Bible study teacher at Hensley’s church, was shot and killed at his home.

Investigation

Officers were alerted to the shots by neighbours and found a 22-year-old woman slumped outside the house. She identified Hensley as the gunman. Officers immediately sealed off the street.

During searches officers noticed what appeared to be a basement window covered with a sheet of plywood and discovered it concealed a crawl space where Amy’s body was found.

A bomb dismantling team was summoned from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base because police feared Hensley’s car might be rigged with explosives. Police found 24 Molotov cocktails on a workbench at Hensley’s home and said the bombs looked new. The bombs were detonated by a bomb squad at a fire training center. Police said the car was sitting on top of gas tanks and there was concern for public safety. The car was towed to a lot and searched and no explosives were found.

Police said Hensley’s car had different plates from the car he fled in after the shootings and said: "The Ohio plates had been changed to Illinois," attributed to Lt. Rod Austin.

Police believed Hensley killed the girls and then drove with his wife, Julie Hensley, to Wildermuth’s house for a prayer session before killing him. Officers said Mrs. Hensley summoned police to Wildermuth’s house and that she had been held in protective custody since.

Police said Hensley loaded up multiple types of long guns and handguns, with a sizable quantity of ammunition, when he left the home, and that the timing of the ensuing events was unclear regarding when his wife Julie arrived at the home about the time the woman was shot.

Arrest / standoff

Lawrence Hensley surrendered to police on July 13, 1999, after a two-hour standoff at a gas station. Hensley gave up around 5 a.m., ending the standoff in which a clerk and two customers were held hostage at the station.

A Sidney police officer cornered Hensley after spotting a purple Chevrolet Cavalier driving erratically at about 3:15 a.m. Hensley fled Sidney about 35 miles north of Dayton after allegedly killing three girls and a 37-year-old man. Officers said the officer pursued the car even though the license plates on the car did not match those of the car in which Hensley fled, and that "The Ohio plates had been changed to Illinois," attributed to Lt. Rod Austin.

Police said Hensley entered the gas station with a weapon and that the officer wasn’t close enough to intervene, so he called for assistance. A tactical response team arrived including sharpshooters and negotiators. Negotiators made contact using a phone and police said: "They convinced him that he needed to give up," and attributed to Austin, with the additional quote: "Negotiators were able to make contact using a phone," Austin told APBnews.com. The exchange led police to fear Hensley’s car contained explosives.

A short time later Hensley was suspected in an apparently unprovoked shooting earlier that morning on Interstate 75 about 10 miles from the gas station where the standoff took place. A 47-year-old Shelby County man was shot twice at about 2:50 a.m. while driving north on the highway. He sought help at a truck stop and was taken to a hospital where he was in serious condition.

Police received a call that Hensley was seen outside a home near the truck stop. Police said: "He went to the residence of someone he knew from church. He was not let in, and a shot was discharged, but no one was injured," attributed to Shelby County Sheriff Mark Schemmel.

Police said hundreds of tips followed and that police had been on high alert in the Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia border areas, but there were no confirmed sightings until the standoff.

Trial / sentencing

Hensley was arraigned on four counts of aggravated murder and ordered held on $1 million cash bond. Police said additional charges were likely to be filed.

On March 8, 2000, Hensley pleaded guilty and received a life sentence avoiding a possible death penalty. Hensley told victims’ families during a pretrial hearing: "I'm sorry for taking your daughters' lives, so sorry for doing what I did,''.

Hensley pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and kidnapping before being sentenced. He gave no reason for the killings.

Prosecutor James Stevenson said prosecutors believed Hensley was involved in "activities'' with some of the girls that could have led to criminal charges. Stevenson said: "He was concerned about the possible ramifications of that information being disclosed,''.

Hensley’s attorney said Hensley had a sexual addiction to exposing himself and had studied Satanism as part of a spiritual crisis created by his problems. The attorney said: "He couldn't control himself,'' Kort Gatterdam said.

Hensley had earlier convictions for exposing himself and prosecutors said he had exposed himself to one or more of the girls.

In 1995 and 1997, Hensley was convicted twice for public indecency for exposing himself to a store clerk and to a motorist, and he previously was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of theft of sundries from a store in Sidney, according to Sidney Municipal Court records.

Hensley took a plea agreement to serve four life sentences without the possibility of parole to avoid the death penalty.

Appeals

No appeal information was included.

Outcome

Hensley was sentenced to life in prison without parole on March 8, 2000.

Aftermath

Hensley had no hostages injured during the standoff.

Police Chief Steve Wearly said that a 22-year-old woman told officers she had been shot by Lawrence Michael Hensley and that Wearly withheld the identity of the survivor because he feared for her life as long as Hensley remained at large. Wearly said she was being treated at a Dayton-area hospital.

The shootings began about 5:15 p.m. and ended within a half-hour, authorities said.

Sidney High School Principal Greg Johnson described the deaths of the three teen-agers and said: "They were kids who deserved a future and they didn't have a second chance. It was taken from them."

Sherry’s father was Mark L. Kimbler and her mother was Cheryl L. Cai. Sherry attended Versailles High School as a freshman and returned to Sidney City Schools in October as a sophomore. The guidance counselor Anita Barton said: "Sherry was a very conscientious student who always had a smile on her face." Barton added she was "heartsick" when the personable student had been shot to death and said: "Sherry came into my office a lot but not because of problems," and "I always encourage new students to come in and let me know how they're doing. She was really faithful in that regard."

The teen-ager planned to attend Upper Valley Joint Vocational School, reportedly in cosmetology or graphic arts.

Tosha’s parents were Ellis C. Barrett and Glenda M. (Kimbler) Barrett. Assistant manager Victor Boroff said: "She was so happy-go-lucky and carefree," and "If she had any problems, she certainly didn't complain to anyone." Boroff found it difficult to believe she would not report to work and said she had been scheduled to work Friday from 3 to 9:30 p.m.

Amy’s parents were Rita Mikesell and Rick Mikesell. Amy was the daughter of Rita Mikesell and Rick Mikesell. Amy planned to go to Country Concert '99 at Hickory Hill Lakes, and the seventh-grade Bridgeview Middle School student loved to sing karaoke and play Lazer tag at Holiday Lanes. She wanted to become a country singer like LeeAnn Rimes. She became acquainted with the older teens through her sister Lisa Adkins, who was 17. Adkins said: "We had all gone to Kings Island earlier this summer," and "And we were talking about heading up to Cedar Point. Amy loved summer. she didn't like school very much." A cousin, Ashley Daum, called Amy the best friend anyone could have and said: "She had a real nice personality. I remember a week ago we went out to the root beer stand and then to Tawawa Park. We had the best time and now she's gone. I'll never have another friend like her."

Hours after the older teens were found, searchers discovered Amy’s body in the basement. A mother, Rita Mikesell, said: "We went from the crime scene to the police station and all the places we thought she might be," and "We kept going back to Queen Street and the police kept telling us she wasn't there. Hours later they changed their story." The mother said the family was awaiting autopsy results and asked: "Would Amy have had a chance if she had been found right away?" She said: "I have to know but right now there are no answers."

Janice Fishbaugh said there was lingering fear in her neighbourhood because of the murders and that she was afraid to come home at night because she saw police removing bodies from the house down the street.

People

• Lawrence Michael Hensley (30) — defendant and shooting suspect
• Sherry Kimbler (16) — victim
• Tosha L. Barrett (16) — victim
• Amy Mikesell (14) — victim
• Veronica Eagy (22) — wounded survivor
• Brett Wildermuth (37) — victim
• Julie Hensley — Hensley’s wife who remained at Wildermuth’s house and cooperated with police
• Sheri Kimbler — named as Sheri Kimbler, 16, victim
• Tosha Barrett — named as Tosha Barrett, 16, victim
• Cheryl L. Cai — Ms. Kimbler’s mother
• Michael Adkins — Amy’s uncle
• Lisa Perin — former colleague at the car parts factory; described Hensley’s comments about dissecting animals and hurting somebody
• Jeff Wheeler — quality assurance manager
• Reverend Ben Davis — Reverend of the First Church of God; discussed Hensley’s satanic worship and counseling
• Prosecutor James Stevenson — prosecutor
• Kort Gatterdam — Hensley’s attorney
• Police Capt. Dean Kimpel — police captain
• Lt. Rod Austin — Sidney Police Department
• Andy Grzelewski — station manager
• Shelby County Sheriff Mark Schemmel — sheriff
• Police Chief Steve Wearly — police chief
• Sidney High School Principal Greg Johnson — principal
• Nikki Shie — SHS junior
• Jenny Nation — co-worker at Chilly Jilly’s
• Anita Barton — guidance counselor
• Victor Boroff — assistant manager
• Ashley Daum — cousin of Amy
• Rita Mikesell — Amy’s mother
• Rick Mikesell — Amy’s father
• Rick Mikesell — Amy’s father
• Donald Young (85) — neighbour who described seeing Veronica Eagy crawling in the yard
• Donald Young — described Veronica Eagy as coming across the alley and crawling in the neighbor's back yard
• Greg Johnson — described the deaths
• Janice Fishbaugh — neighbour

Timeline

• July 13, 1999 — Hensley surrendered to police after a two-hour standoff at a gas station in Sidney, Ohio.
• March 8, 2000 — Hensley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Other details

Hensley had earlier convictions for theft of sundries and public indecency for exposing himself. He was divorced in 1991 from Jennifer Brautigam of Sidney; they married in 1989 in Harlan County, Ky., and had a son Devin born in 1990. Their divorce filing was in Shelby County Common Pleas Court. His former wife was granted a court order to restrict Hensley’s visitation with close supervision after Devin told his mother that Hensley sexually abused him during visits. Hensley recently married Julie, who traveled with him from the first shooting scene to the second, authorities said.

Authorities said Hensley used an automatic teller machine near London, Ky., and had relatives in eastern Kentucky.

Police said the standoff ended peacefully and no hostages were injured. The standoff took place at a Speedway gas station. A tactical response team including sharpshooters and negotiators arrived.