Jury Convicts Cincinnati Man in Death of Deputy During College Graduation Traffic Detail
Sandego.net – A Hamilton County jury has found Rodney Hinton Jr. guilty of murder in the death of Deputy Larry Ray Henderson Jr., who was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic near a college graduation ceremony in May 2025.
The verdict, returned Friday, also included convictions for reckless homicide and felonious assault. Hinton had entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, placing his mental condition at the center of the case.
Hinton now faces a prison term of 15 years to life on the murder count, with parole eligibility possible. His sentencing hearing is set for November 16. Defense attorney Clyde Bennett II said an appeal will be pursued.
A deputy remembered for decades of service
Henderson had spent decades with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office before retiring only months before his death. Even after retirement, he continued taking off-duty assignments, including traffic-control work at public events.
He was working near a college graduation when he was killed. At his funeral last year, speakers remembered Henderson as a generous co-worker and committed public servant who regularly accepted assignments that carried significant risks.
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said the jury’s decision offered a measure of closure for Henderson’s family, colleagues and the wider sheriff’s office.
“The jury’s verdict brought some closure and helped provide justice for Henderson.”
The case has drawn attention not only because a law-enforcement officer was killed while serving in an off-duty role, but also because the crash occurred amid an intensely traumatic period for Hinton’s family.
Crash followed the death of Hinton’s son
The fatal collision took place hours after Hinton and other relatives watched police body-camera footage connected to the death of his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton. Ryan Hinton had been shot by a Cincinnati police officer during a chase.
The officer fired twice. Cincinnati’s police chief said the officer told investigators that Ryan Hinton pointed a gun at him. The officer was not criminally charged in connection with the shooting.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said a review conducted last year determined that the officer’s use of force was legally justified. Pillich said Ryan Hinton had a fully loaded gun and pointed it at officers when they confronted him.
The sequence of events left Rodney Hinton Jr. grieving the loss of his son shortly before Henderson’s death. But the criminal trial required jurors to assess a separate question: whether Hinton was legally responsible for intentionally driving into the deputy.
Mental health defense was a central issue
Defense lawyers argued that Hinton was in the grip of a psychotic episode at the time of the crash. Bennett told jurors in closing arguments that his client had intended to end his own life when he drove into the intersection, rather than set out to kill Henderson.
Hinton had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as well as other mental illnesses. The defense maintained that those conditions affected his ability to process events and understand his actions after the devastating loss of his son.
Prosecutors did not dispute that Hinton was distraught and mourning. Their argument focused on intent and legal accountability. They contended that he deliberately directed his vehicle toward Henderson and that his mental illnesses did not prevent him from recognizing the difference between right and wrong.
The guilty verdict means the jury rejected the insanity defense. Such a defense does not simply involve showing that a defendant has a mental-health diagnosis or was experiencing emotional distress. The legal issue is whether a mental disease or defect prevented the person from understanding the wrongfulness of the conduct at the relevant time.
Jurors concluded that standard had not been met in Hinton’s case.
A case shaped by two deaths
The prosecution of Hinton unfolded against the backdrop of two deaths occurring within a short period: the police shooting of Ryan Hinton and the killing of Henderson the following day. Each incident involved its own investigation, legal standards and factual questions.
For Henderson’s family and fellow deputies, the case centered on the loss of a veteran public-safety worker who had continued serving his community after retirement. For Hinton’s defense, the circumstances surrounding his son’s death were central to explaining his condition in the hours that followed.
The jury’s ruling does not erase the grief surrounding either death. It does, however, establish criminal responsibility for the crash that killed Henderson and brings the case closer to its final court stage.
At sentencing on November 16, the court will determine the punishment Hinton will receive within the range allowed for the murder conviction. The expected appeal could extend the legal process, but the verdict marks a major step in a case that has deeply affected Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
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