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

Updated 16:06 UTC

A jury in Cincinnati, Ohio, found Rodney Hinton Jr. guilty of murder on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, for driving his car into Hamilton County sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson and killing him. The jury rejected Hinton's plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

The jury of seven women and five men in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court convicted the 40-year-old Hinton of murder, of reckless homicide as a lesser charge in place of aggravated murder, and of felonious assault, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer and WCPO, which listed the verdict count by count. Jurors did not convict him of aggravated murder, the most serious charge.

A murder conviction in Ohio carries a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life in prison, with the possibility of parole. The reckless homicide verdicts carry up to three years each. Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 16, 2026.

What happened on May 2, 2025

The case centered on whether Hinton intentionally drove into Henderson on May 2, 2025, near the University of Cincinnati, where graduation ceremonies were taking place. Henderson was working traffic control, controlling a traffic light, at the time.

The day before, on May 1, 2025, Hinton's 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton, was fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer. On the morning of May 2, 2025, Hinton went to police offices in the West End to view body camera video of that shooting. The crash happened several hours later, about four miles away.

Prosecutors said Hinton waited in a center lane for oncoming traffic to clear, then drove straight at Henderson, who was standing on a traffic island next to a utility pole. The center of the car struck Henderson, and the front right side struck the pole. Prosecutors said Hinton told a psychologist who evaluated him that he drove in the direction of the deputy and had to turn the steering wheel a little bit to hit him. Asked if he was angry at police, Hinton said, according to the Enquirer report: "Not him particularly," referring to Henderson.

Henderson was a retired deputy who had served the sheriff's office for about 33 years before retiring in December 2024 and continued to work special assignments, including the graduation traffic detail. He had no connection to the shooting of Ryan Hinton, who was shot by a Cincinnati police officer, a different agency.

The insanity defense

Hinton has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. His attorney, Clyde Bennett II, told jurors in closing arguments that Hinton was trying to kill himself, was driving at the utility pole near where Henderson stood, and was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time.

Prosecutors argued that his mental illness did not prevent him from knowing right from wrong. They said he was grieving and distraught, but made a decision to steer the car toward the deputy. The Enquirer reported that no witness testified that Hinton showed symptoms of a psychotic episode at the time of the crash, and that Hinton gave differing accounts of hearing a voice shortly before the crash.

The trial began on Oct. 5, 2026. Closing arguments took place on Oct. 20, 2026, and the jury began deliberations on Oct. 21, 2026. The verdict came on Oct. 23, 2026, on the third day of deliberations, according to WCPO.

Hinton now awaits sentencing on Nov. 16, 2026. This is a developing story and will be updated when the sentence is announced.