“Kill someone who would not be missed;” 80-year-old woman played dead after a man who knew she lived alone strangled her with a belt in a wooded area just so he could steal her car

Rhode Island – In a harrowing incident that unfolded in Rhode Island, a 54-year-old man, identified as S. Henning, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence after a chilling crime he committed against an 80-year-old woman that involved stalking, abduction, and extreme violence. According to reports, Henning’s crimes stemmed from a calculated plan in which he went after the elderly woman as she exited a restaurant, dragged her into a brutal struggle, strangled her with a belt, and left her in the woods — all so he could steal her car and travel to Ohio to kill his girlfriend. Prosecutors described his motive in court as blunt: Henning said he wanted to “kill someone who would not be missed” so that he could escape in a car that would go unreported. Henning was sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to a string of violent charges, including kidnapping, first-degree robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon.

According to prosecutors, Henning spotted the elderly woman at a restaurant and quickly determined she was an easy target. He followed her to her home, forced his way in, and abducted her. Henning’s plan was clear—he needed a car that wouldn’t be reported stolen, and his solution, as he told prosecutors, was to “kill someone who would not be missed.” After shoving the woman into the trunk of her own vehicle, Henning drove her approximately 30 miles to a wooded area. Once there, Henning used a belt to strangle the woman until she lost consciousness. Believing she was dead, he left her body hidden among foliage. The victim, however, had not died. Moments later, after regaining consciousness, she ran for help, knocking on doors until someone let her into a nearby home. She was then taken to a hospital, where she was treated for serious injuries. Police recovered a weapon — the belt — and other evidence from the scene. The fact that she survived this attack has been described by investigators as nothing short of remarkable.

The case broke wide open when police were notified of the abduction around 8:15 a.m. on August 18, 2024. Detectives quickly identified Henning as the suspect and attempted to apprehend him. He led them on a high-speed chase before being caught and arrested at the residence of a woman he had met online. At the time of the assault, Henning was already on the run. Just days earlier, he had reportedly assaulted his girlfriend in Ohio, stolen a relative’s vehicle, and fled the state. When that car was abandoned, he hatched the plan to kill someone else and steal a new vehicle just so he could return to Ohio in a car that wouldn’t be recognized or reported stolen and kill his girlfriend.

In court, prosecutors revealed that Henning had returned to the crime scene the next day with a shovel—presumably to bury the body—only to find his victim was gone. This further confirmed, they argued, the premeditated nature of the crime. The victim’s survival was not only a stroke of fortune but a key element in bringing Henning to justice. Police commended her for her courage and resourcefulness, with one officer saying, “What she went through is the stuff nightmares are made from, and yet, she is probably the strongest and bravest person our detectives have ever met.” Henning, who has been arrested more than 20 times in Rhode Island, was sentenced to 45 years to serve as part of a 55-year term, which also included 10 additional years for being a habitual offender. The sentencing, prosecutors said, ensures that Henning will likely never harm another person again.

The attack stunned the community, where neighbors and residents had long felt safe. The woman had no prior connection to Henning, and her only misfortune was being seen by the wrong person at the wrong time. Prosecutors described Henning as the type of predator elderly people fear when they choose to stay indoors and avoid public life. His crime, they emphasized, was not just about theft—it was about deliberately choosing a vulnerable person for a brutal and selfish goal. Henning’s sentence stands as a stark warning and a message of justice for a crime rooted in premeditated cruelty. The woman who lived through it—a symbol of resilience in the face of calculated violence—can now begin to heal, knowing that her attacker will be behind bars for decades to come.