Rodney Hinton Jr Verdict: Ohio Jury Finds Him Guilty of Murder in Deputy Larry Henderson's Death

A jury of seven women and five men in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on Friday found Rodney Hinton Jr., 40, guilty of murder in the death of Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson, rejecting his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Jurors chose not to convict Hinton on the more serious charges of aggravated murder, finding him guilty of reckless homicide on those counts instead.

Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 16. Under Ohio law as reported by the Enquirer, a murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole, while the reckless homicide verdict means Hinton faces up to three years on those counts as well.

The case centered on May 2, 2025, when, prosecutors said, Hinton intentionally drove his car into Henderson near the University of Cincinnati, where graduation ceremonies were happening and Henderson was controlling a traffic light. The crash came hours after Hinton viewed body camera video at a police office in the West End; the day before, his 18-year-old son Ryan had been fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer. Prosecutors said Hinton, who has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, was grieving and distraught but made a decision to steer the car toward the deputy. His attorney, Clyde Bennett II, argued in closing that Hinton was experiencing a psychotic episode and was trying to kill himself, driving at a utility pole Henderson was standing near.

Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said the conviction brought some closure to her deputies. "We can now all grieve and move forward with some finality," McGuffey said, according to the Enquirer. Bennett said he was disappointed with the verdict and would appeal the case within 30 days. Assistant prosecutor Kate Burroughs read a statement thanking the jurors and said, as the Enquirer reported, "Rodney Hinton Jr. will be held criminally responsible for his actions on May 2, 2025, that did not allow Deputy Henderson to return home that night."