Parolee in kids' deaths jailed as bank robbery suspect
By Marilyn Robinson, Rocky Mountain News
Published April 13, 2008 at 6:24 p.m.
Updated April 14, 2008 at 6:02 a.m.
Robert "Raffie" Henderson, who was paroled this year after serving time in prison in the cough syrup deaths of his two children, is back behind bars.
Henderson, 34, was arrested Friday after a robbery at TCF Bank, 9475 S. University Blvd., in Douglas County.
Authorities said the bank robber fled in a red mid-1990s Toyota Celica, and the description was aired to metro-area police.
A Greenwood Village officer spotted a car matching the description and pursued it to Cherry Creek Reservoir, said Dave Joly, a spokesman for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Moments after the pursuit ended, officers saw smoke on Dam Road north of the reservoir. The car's engine had blown up, Joly said.
The driver was arrested in connection with the bank robbery. Authorities say he's suspected in several metro-area bank robberies.
Henderson was paroled Jan. 8 after serving nearly four years in the deaths of his young children, said Katherine Sanguinetti of the Colorado Department of Corrections.
In May 2004, Henderson pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and assault. The six-year sentence was the maximum allowed under the deal reached with prosecutors.
Henderson admitted giving cherry-flavored Smart Choice nighttime cold medicine to his two children, 5-year-old Robert "Killian" and 4-year-old Rhapsody, on the morning of Aug. 8, 2002. Henderson, a taxi driver who had worked overnight and wanted to sleep, was caring for the youngsters while his wife attended nursing school.
Prosecutors contended that ingredients in the cough syrup formed a fatal brew in the children's bodies. The bottle warned against giving it to children younger than 12.
Staff writer Todd Hartman contributed to this report.
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
Featured
-
Holiday Lights
Is your house the jolliest on the block? Submit your holiday lights display.
-
Mount Crushmore
Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.
-
Broncos-Jets Action
Visit our photo galleries for some hard-hitting action photos from Sunday's game.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's postgame rant on the Jets.
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.
-
Stein's View
Editorial cartoons by Ed Stein
-
Holiday Gift Guide
Looking to get a jump-start on the holiday shopping season?
-
Live updates
Sign up for mobile alerts and breaking news e-mails to keep up with the latest news.
-
The Rocky @ 150 Years
Read the Rocky's coverage of Colorado's cannibal, Alfred Packer, in 1886.
April 13, 2008
8:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
BJG writes:
This guy was out of prison after killing his two chidren cause he was tired and wanted to sleep??? Now he robs a bank? I say lock him up and throw away the key forever.
April 13, 2008
8:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
gwats writes:
The man killed his own two kids and he's walking the street committing crimes less than 6 years later? The Penal code needs an enema.
April 13, 2008
10:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
happymike44 writes:
What is wrong with this guy.The jury should have locked him up for a lot longer then they did.He killed two children and now he has robbed a bank.Wonder if he gets out what he has planned next.Hope this jury will give him more time then the last jury did.
April 13, 2008
10:31 p.m.
Suggest removal
mtnsrfer writes:
Rot in prison, then rot in pain!
April 13, 2008
10:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
gs writes:
None of you have had small children I think. He made a mistake. An easy one to make. Yes a tragedy. but you give it a try.
April 14, 2008
12:42 a.m.
Suggest removal
phlsat writes:
To the comment by "gs",
Your comment is so completely outrageous that it is beyond belief! Anyone with an ounce of common sense and half a brain knows that there is absolutely no margin for error when it comes to the lives of little children that do not know they are being poisoned to death! He made a mistake?!?
No "gs", he committed an unforgiveable act of irresponsibility and selfish indifference, and for that he should pay dearly. An easy mistake to make you say?? I would question your sense of value on human life and wonder if you're not somehow connected to this moron who should never be free again. Get a grip on reality "gs"! One doesn't have to have kids to know how precious they are. And there are far to many idiots out there that should never ever have the opportunity to have them or care for them!
April 14, 2008
6:53 a.m.
Suggest removal
DougH writes:
Note to gs, giving children enough cough syrup to kill them is not an easy mistake to make. It is clear that he was using the cold medicine as a narcotic on the children and they overdosed, He killed them plain and simple.
April 14, 2008
6:54 a.m.
Suggest removal
vudumom writes:
gs, Are you crazy? The guy gave the kids cough medicine so " HE " could sleep! That's not much better of an excuse the mother gave recently when she was arrested for giving her baby meth.
When are the DA's and Prosecuters going to stop plea bargaining childrens lives away? What the hell is wrong with these people who are supposed to protect children and put people who kill,sexually assault and harm children in prison doing hard time. You can get more time in this state for killing an animal than a child!
April 14, 2008
8:57 a.m.
Suggest removal
holekeeper writes:
happymike44
I wanted you to know this was not a jury trial it was a Plea bargan case, also in colorado the jury only decides on guilt, the judge decides the sentence they do however have a say so in the death penilty cases.
to the rest of us,
The criminal justace system as a whole is going down hill. We are to blame by voting in a govoner who repeatedly gave very low plea bargan cases to people remember the Agucultural (i know my spelling sucks) tresspass that former denver Da ritter gave to heroin dealers. who is to blame here? we are always seeking out people to balme but we refuse to take the blame. want change in the criminal justace system we have to make change with our leaders.
April 14, 2008
1:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
medina88 writes:
GS...How can he have made a "mistake" when the warnings are right on the bottle. Gee...did he not know how to read? What a very sad mistake he made. It was NOT a mistake!! HELLLLOOOO!! He wanted to sleep so he poisoned his children. How stupid is that? Come on GS, if the man was not able to take care of his own children, he should of hired a babysitter for a few hours. Would certainly cost alot less then the loss of chilren's lives. Now he robs banks..what a loser. Lock him up and never let him out again.
April 14, 2008
2:32 p.m.
Suggest removal
rickg19611 writes:
"this was not a jury trial it was a Plea bargan case"
Who was the Prosecutor four years ago that agreed to let the criminal off the hook?
Any involvement by another former prosecutor that let drug dealers off the hook by plea bargains down to agricultural trespass so they could avoid deportation back to their own country? The same prosecutor that Democrats worship as a hero to illegal aliens everywhere? The same weak on crime prosecutor that covered up his plea deals so he could deceive voters into electing him as a sham governor?
April 14, 2008
2:45 p.m.
Suggest removal
holekeeper writes:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/...
He was in Aurora, not denver, but one in the same am I right?
This is channel 7's story from 2004