Iowa Man Sentenced to 2 Life Terms for Killing Missing Girl, 10, Whose Remains Were Found in Pond

Henry Earl Dinkins, 51, was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Breasia Terrell, who went missing in July 2020

An Iowa man who killed 10-year-old Breasia Terrell — whose remains were found in a pond in 2021 — received to two life sentences without parole on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.

Henry Earl Dinkins — who on Sept. 15 was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping in relation to the 10-year-old's death after pleading guilty to the charges — received the harshest possible sentence this week for those charges, according to local news outlet the Quad-City Times. The Associated Press and KCRG also reported on Dinkins' Wednesday sentencing.

Dinkins was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to Breasia's mother Aishia Lankford, per the Quad-City Times.

"Closure doesn't exist in this case,” Lankford said in court on Wednesday while reading her victim’s statement, according to the outlet. “Justice doesn't exist in this case. You took away everything."

She also addressed Dinkins directly during the statement, asking him questions about her daughter.

"Was (Breasia) scared? ... Did she ask for me? ... Did she know those gunshots were coming? ... Did she beg you to stop? ... What were her last words? ... Did you watch my baby die?" Lankford said, per the Quad-City Times.

Related: Iowa Girl, 10, Is Missing, and Mom Believes Registered Sex Offender Ex Knows Where She Is

Dinkins' conviction came after Breasia's remains were discovered in a pond in March 2021, eight months after she was first reported missing, the Associated Press, the Quad-City Times, and the Clinton Herald reported in September.

After a two-week bench trial with nearly 50 witnesses, Judge Henry Latham delivered the verdict last month. Breasia's younger brother — also Dinkins’ son — had served as one of the witnesses. According to Quad-City Times he told the court that he and his sister had stayed at the apartment of Dinkins’ girlfriend the night before she disappeared.

As PEOPLE previously reported, Breasia went missing on July 10, 2020. Dinkins — a registered sex offender — was named as her possible kidnapper in an AMBER Alert issued by the authorities. Dinkins had not faced any charges related to the girl’s disappearance at that time.

In 1990, Dinkins — who was 17 at the time — was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse, according to records cited by the AP.

Related: Ga. Police Officer Arrested After Naked Body of Missing 16-Year-Old Girl Found in Woods

Local and federal authorities searched for the missing girl for months. Then, on March 22, 2021, in DeWitt, Iowa, remains — later identified as Breasia’s — were found, police said.

A group of people who were fishing in the area found the decayed remains, which included a skull, according to the Clinton Herald. The girl had been shot, an autopsy reportedly revealed, and Dinkins was later arrested and charged with her murder.

The AP reported that prosecutors claimed Dinkins brought Breasia to the site where he sexually assaulted and murdered her. The defense reportedly said that there was no physical evidence linking Dinkins to Breasia's sexual assault and killing.

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Breasia's younger brother — who was 8 years old at the time of his sister's disappearance — also said during the trial that he had woken in the middle of the night during the sleepover and observed that his father and his sister had left, according to the Clinton Herald.

The boy said Dinkins came back around 6 a.m. on July 10, 2020 and took him to Walmart, where he said Dinkins purchased bleach and then drove to the location where Breasia’s body was subsequently found.

Dinkins' movements were reportedly verified by video footage and phone data.

"Words cannot describe the heartache and emptiness that we feel now that police have confirmed the remains located in DeWitt, Iowa, are Breasia,” Lankford said in a statement through the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children at the time. “Our love for Breasia has gotten us through the past nine months and will continue to see us through as we fight for justice.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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