Brooklyn, New York – For nearly a year, Miami-Dade County police detectives investigated the painful disappearance of Stepha Henry.  On Friday, May 16, 2008, the investigations reached a critical turning point, as Kendrick Williams, of Brooklyn, New York was charged and extradited to South Florida in the slaying of Stepha Henry.

“From the very beginning when I reached out to Miami-Dade authorities, the police department expressed earnest concern over the disappearance of Stepha Henry, a young lady who had a bright future ahead of her,” said Congressman Towns.  “Stepha’s disappearance has haunted us for so long.”

Stepha Henry, during a 2007 Memorial Day weekend in Miami, Florida attended a reggae concert with her younger sister.  Thereafter, Henry made plans to attend Club Peppers, a nightclub in Fort Lauderdale.  She was later observed on May 29, 2007, getting into a black sedan.  That was the last her family and friends had seen or heard from her.

Williams, 32, the man authorities linked to Stepha’s disappearance, is in a Miami Dade County jail being held without bond and is facing a charge of murder.

“Although I am pleased that the suspect has finally been apprehended, I am also saddened by the news that we are no closer to securing Stepha’s safe return,” stated Towns. “I intend to stay on top of this case and in touch with the Miami-Dade County Police Department to assure that the mystery of Stepha’s disappearance is solved.  If there was any foul play, I will demand that the perpetrators be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

Stepha Henry’s disappearance received national attention as her family and the Brooklyn community frantically waited for Stepha’s return.  Stepha Henry, a 2006 honors graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, was an aspiring law student with great ambition and close ties to her family and community. 

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