Alabama Couple Allegedly Killed Man's Second Wife and Family Members After She Learned of His Bigamy: Reports
An Alabama husband and wife are facing more than a dozen murder charges after allegedly killing five people and setting a home on fire in 2015, PEOPLE confirms.
According to reports, one victim was the man’s wife, who filed for divorce after learning of his alleged bigamy.
Christopher Henderson, 42, was recently indicted on 19 capital murder charges while 44-year-old Rhonda Carlson was indicted on 18, an official with the Madison County District Attorney’s Office tells PEOPLE. They were also charged with first-degree arson under one of the murder charges.
Henderson and Carlson, who are married, killed Kristen Smallwood, 35, the spokesperson says. According to AL.com, Smallwood was his second wife and was nine months pregnant.
The pair allegedly shot or stabbed Kristen to death, the publication reports. They allegedly cut Smallwood’s unborn baby from her womb and stabbed the infant multiple times, AL reports, citing court documents.
An investigator told the publication that Henderson spoke with them in jail in the wake of the incident, saying, “I’m glad you caught me when you did, because I couldn’t live with what I’ve done.”
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Henderson and Smallwood were in the process of divorcing at the time, according to WAFF. She had reportedly filed a restraining order against him.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed the couple entering Carol’s home with a gas can and leaving before the flames erupted, according to the station. Authorities also reportedly found a gun in Carlson’s truck.
Along with Kristen and Loryn, the suspects are accused of killing Kristen’s 8-year-old son, Clayton Chambers; Kristen’s mother, Carol Smallwood, 67 and Kristen’s 1-year-old nephew Eli Sokolowski, according to AL and the spokesperson.
Police told the publication that Sokolowski was stabbed but ultimately died of asphyxia as a result of the fire at Carol’s home. Chambers was stabbed to death and Carol was fatally shot, according to court documents obtained by WAFF.
It is unclear whether Henderson and Carlson have entered pleas to the charges. Henderson’s attorney, Bruce Gardner, did not respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE. It is unclear whether Carlson has retained an attorney.
