Chris Whitfield/Daily Citizen-NewsHannah Henderson talks with attorneys from the Public Defenders Office before pleading guilty to a felony murder charge in the shooting death of her father George Henderson in October 2018. On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Jim Wilbanks sentenced her to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

DALTON, Ga. — “There is no win here. There is no good in any of this. This is all evil.”

Those were Joey Henderson’s words after his niece Hannah Henderson pleaded guilty in Whitfield County Superior Court Tuesday morning to murdering George Henderson — her father and his brother — in October 2018. She also admitted allegations she made that George Henderson molested her son were untrue.

Judge Jim Wilbanks sentenced Hannah Henderson to life in prison with the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to felony murder and aggravated assault (family violence). Under Georgia law, she must serve at least 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. As part of the plea deal, Hannah Henderson relinquished her parental rights to her son and also gave up any claim to George Henderson’s estate. A family member said another family member was in the process of adopting the child.

The courtroom was an emotional scene as family members packed two rows. Many sat with tears streaming down their faces as the murder was detailed in court.

Frankie Shipman, George Henderson’s sister, spoke for the family after Hannah Henderson’s admission of guilt and before she was sentenced.

“Hannah, you made the choice to eliminate your father not only from your life but from the lives of so many of us here today,” Shipman said. “It was you that chose to eliminate your only son’s Pop-Pop from his life. Hannah, you will never know or feel the pain and heartache that you have brought to our lives.”

On Oct. 13, 2018, Hannah Henderson told a 911 operator and Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office investigators she shot her father after catching him molesting her young son. In Tuesday’s admission of guilt, Henderson acknowledged those allegations were false and said George Henderson had never inappropriately touched his grandson. Shortly after her arrest, Sheriff Scott Chitwood released a statement saying the “evidence collected at the scene did not support” the molestation claim and family members denied Hannah Henderson’s accusation.

From the beginning of the investigation into George Henderson’s death, District Attorney Bert Poston said there were inconsistencies with Hannah Henderson’s version of events, including her molestation allegation.

“I just want to say that while it’s impossible to prove a negative (something that never happened), the sum total of the investigation strongly refutes any suspicion that George’s behavior towards the child was inappropriate,” Poston said in remarks in court. “Rather than go into depth about the sort of evidence that would refute that claim, it is my understanding that the defendant herself wishes to withdraw that allegation and set the record straight about her father’s behavior.”

Reading from a prepared statement in a monotone voice while addressing Wilbanks before sentencing, Hannah Henderson said she was “not a monster,” was an addict and was sorry for her father’s death. While making her statement, she did not give a motive for why she killed her father.

“Your honor, words cannot begin to explain my feelings or describe the pain that I have inflicted,” she said. “I am not a monster, and I do recognize how my actions have affected myself and my family forever. I want to apologize for what I put everyone through. I am so grateful for a loving family, especially my grandmother, my aunt and my uncle for stepping up to take care of (her son). I’m sorry for saying my dad touched (her son). That was a lie then, and it is a lie now. He didn’t deserve what happened to him, and I wish I could take it all back. I’m sorry.”

After reading through other victim statements that family members wrote, Wilbanks gave his sentence and made a few remarks.

“I did not know George Henderson, but I feel like I know him now,” Wilbanks said. “I thank you for this. Miss Henderson has made horrific decisions that affected all of you. For that, I am very sorry. Unfortunately, we can’t change any of this. I do appreciate Miss Henderson taking full responsibility as she has.”

Poston laid out the case the state would have presented at trial against her, saying Hannah Henderson shot her father twice — once in the back of her father’s neck, then again in his temple —with a Ruger .38-caliber handgun at extremely close range.

Poston gave a possible motive for the slaying, saying Hannah Henderson was abusing drugs and George Henderson allowed her and her son to live with him. George Henderson was also providing Hannah Henderson with a vehicle and a food truck, which gave her income.

“Generally, what the investigation revealed is that there was some dispute between George and the defendant that evening,” Poston said in court. “We suspect that it was about her drug use and, or, his financial assistance to her but we just don’t know for sure because we can’t ask the victim.”

In addition to the false molestation claim, Poston said Hannah Henderson had other inconsistencies in what she told investigators. After she was arrested, Poston said Hannah Henderson tried to claim self defense and backed off the death having anything to do with the child, “but her version of events did not match the physical evidence and frankly did not make a lot of sense practically.”

“She claimed at one point that he attacked her in the kitchen because he must have thought she was going to shoot him,” Poston said. “But at another point she claimed he was going for the kitchen knives, which were, as best as I can recall, about 30 feet away on the kitchen counter by the sink when the first shot was fired. And again, the first shot was out in the hallway and was a contact wound to the back of the victim’s head. Just not a typical self-defense type injury.”

Hannah Henderson did not refute the statement of the alleged facts laid out in court.

“Did you hear that statement of the alleged facts, Miss Henderson?” Wilbanks asked.

“Yes,” Hannah Henderson said.

“Do you agree that is what happened?” Wilbanks asked.

“Yes,” Hannah Henderson said.

Hannah Henderson was indicted on two counts of murder, aggravated assault (family violence), possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of meth. The district attorney’s office dropped the second count of murder, the possession of firearm charge and the meth charge as part of the plea deal.

“I think it is a good resolution to the case,” Poston said after Hannah Henderson’s sentencing. “We had several meetings with the family and they are great folks. They were happy with the sentence. To them and to us, the key part of it was her acknowledging the 911 call and the other allegations against her father and clearing his name.”

Joey Henderson said there was no joy in the sentence for him and cited Scripture — especially John 10:10 (“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”) — as the anchor for his family.

“We’re not in a fight with father versus daughter, we are in a fight of good versus evil,” Joey Henderson said. “This is all about evil. On Oct. 13 we lost our brother, and today we lost our niece for 30 years. Some would ask was justice served today, because there is no justice for this.

“The last of that Scripture said Jesus Christ came to give you life and give it more abundantly,” he said. “What Dalton, Georgia, needs is Jesus. What my family needs is Jesus. What we are looking to today is Jesus.”

Public Defender Natalie Glaser represented Hannah Henderson. Glaser said she had nothing to add beyond Hannah Henderson’s statement in court.