Prison escapee kidnaps teen daughter of warden, stabs her to death and dumps body in woods in unhinged rampage

An 18-year-old girl murdered by an escaped convict from a Louisiana prison this week was the step-daughter of an assistant warden at the correctional facility.

KTBS reports that Deltra Henderson, an inmate at the David Wade Correctional Center in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, kidnapped Amanda Leigh Carney, 18, as he stole her car in an attempt to escape the prison. He later stabbed her to death before he was killed himself in a police shootout.

Carney lived with her stepfather, Assistant Warden James Arnold, in housing on prison grounds. Her mother, Andrea Bell, also works at the prison and lives in the home.

The inmate had been locked up since 2001 serving multiple sentences for various armed robbery and drug offenses. Henderson was reported missing on Thursday afternoon when he walked off a worksite.

Henderson was reportedly a “trusty” at the prison, a status assigned to well-behaved prisoners who are afforded extra privileges. It is unclear what motivated his escape attempt or why he took the teen girl hostage and murdered her.

NBC 12 reports that shortly after taking the teen and her car, Henderson crashed the vehicle in a remote wooded area north of the prison grounds. He then stole another car and crashed that vehicle as well. After that, Henderson entered a home and stole a firearm. As police apprehended him at the home, the suspect and the officers began shooting at each other, and Henderson was killed.

“Authorities worked to capture Henderson peacefully, but he fired shots at officers and they returned fire,” police said late Thursday in a statement obtained by NBC 12.

Carney was a recent graduate of Summerfield High School. The principal gave NBC 12 a statement about the tragedy.

“There’s no words to express the sorrow in our hearts today,” Principal Shane Lee said.

“We lost one of our own.  A young lady that we cherish. A lady that excelled in academics, athletics, and was a true role model to fellow classmates.  Please be in prayer for the Summerfield School community, her family, and Claiborne Parish.”

 

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