Topic: Skip Henderson Update

[Flat Tire 2]

FWIW; Article on Skip from the Parthenon.

MU Basketball Legend Looks for Hope During Harsh Prison Sentence
https://marshallparthenon.com/30736/news/marshall-basketball-legend-searches-for-hope-during-harsh-prison-sentence/

[luvherd]

As my buddy would say,? I hope he gets out but I don?t want him as my neighbor.? 

One of the all time greats but drugs got him. It was my understanding he used when he played for us.

[thunderingon]

I guess I never knew that he was in with life without parole for what turned out to be non-violent crimes.  That's crazy. 

[herdfan48]

I guess I never knew that he was in with life without parole for what turned out to be non-violent crimes.  That's crazy.

I was told by a good source that was an automatic sentence since it was the 3rd time that he had been in trouble and is considered as a "3 time loser"


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[ThunderValley]

Lots of people make the wrong choice and don't realize what it will do to them. He got with the wrong crowd at a young age and unknowingly destroyed a great future.

[herd2win]

I am a big Skip fan and it does seem like he has served enough time.  But how is car jacking someone with a gun not a violent crime?

[Mako]

The last was most certainly a violent crime but these "three strikes" rules cost us an insane amount of money as a society without making us noticeably safer.  Enhancing a sentence because of repeat offenses is one thing but sticking someone in prison without the possibility of parole when, for example, all three offenses might have resulted in a combined sentence of 15-20 years makes no sense.

[wasbarryb]

I am a big Skip fan and it does seem like he has served enough time.  But how is car jacking someone with a gun not a violent crime?

I'm confident that if he was pointing his gun at you in your car. you'd have a very different opinion as to whether he was committing a violent crime.

That said I think it would be desirable for not just Skip, but everyone in his situation to have some vehicle out of prison.  He certainly sounds remorseful and wanting to do things differently.  I'd to see some sort of plan on how he intends to do it.  Life has to be even harder for someone coming out of his situation than it was when he got into it.  Show me the plan and I'd be very favorable for a new chance at this point.

[The E-Man]

I'll never forget having an encounter with Skip. My uncle had a club and it was a well known hangout in the hood. I had just moved back from Arizona and my uncle needed help to clean up drug dealers and users doing their thing in the club. I had a "zero no tolerance policy" if you were caught dealing or using drugs in the club, you were barred for good. This was the era when "crack cocaine" came into play. I caught Skip and about 4 others in the bathroom smoking crack. I was livid!!! because they had been warned beforehand. Skip had a grip on the pipe and he wasn't letting go. I allowed him to finish doing his thing. I barred Skip and the others from the club. We had a good long talk and he wanted help in a bad way. Skip was very remorseful and respectful of my decision. I seen the demons eating away at very good people including my cousins, one was a professional boxer who sparred with Sugar Ray Leonard and could have been a welterweight boxing champ. Me and Skip would talk often about his addiction and getting him treatment. I had a few things worked out, but Skip ended leaving Huntington in one of Dutch Miller's car. As it turned out, Skip was arrested for stealing the car. Skip made very bad choices, because of an addiction that cost him years of having freedom in life that he will never get back. I hope and pray Skip gets another chance and gets his  freedom soon!

[bighat]

Skip lived with the Dean of Students and that was one of Huckabee's charges.  How could the school not know that Skip lived with the Dean of Students?

[herdtown]

Huckabay..........

[herd1990]

I was friends with Skip during our days in Huntington.  Have communicated with him on more than a few occasions during his incarceration.  Provided some financial help for his commissary account.  I know my opinion is subjective as I wasn't a victim of his crimes, but 30 years is probably enough time to at least earn the chance for an appeal or release with stringent conditions.  Just my 2 cents.  Plenty of other folks who have killed people in DUI crashes and committed other  crimes resulting in death who haven't served anywhere close to his sentence. 

[Toro Toro Taxi]

Not sure how I feel about this. Would it be better for him to stay in prison since thats basically all hes known his whole adult life ? If he gets out , where can he go , what will he be able to do with himself work wise ? Theres alot of questions but I do think hes done the time . Its just a shame all around.

[Herdmeister]

I was told by a good source that was an automatic sentence since it was the 3rd time that he had been in trouble and is considered as a "3 time loser"


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True

[Herdmeister]

I and many others signed a petition a few weeks ago before a Herd hoops game hoping to get him released.

I had heard that his brother Keith had also been incarcerated.

[MUther]

I'm confident that if he was pointing his gun at you in your car. you'd have a very different opinion as to whether he was committing a violent crime.

That said I think it would be desirable for not just Skip, but everyone in his situation to have some vehicle out of prison.  He certainly sounds remorseful and wanting to do things differently.  I'd to see some sort of plan on how he intends to do it.  Life has to be even harder for someone coming out of his situation than it was when he got into it.  Show me the plan and I'd be very favorable for a new chance at this point.

He said "how is it NOT a violent crime?"  You're on the same page.

[Thundering In MD]

He had a good shot and a great crossover.  That?s how I want to remember him.

I quit following him when he was off the Gunners and drove the Superior Cadillac to GA.

[wasbarryb]

He said "how is it NOT a violent crime?"  You're on the same page.

I was simply trying to reinforce his point, not disagreeing with him; while countering other earlier comments that understated the severity of Henderson's actions.

[pdunn]

He's a career violent felon, steals cars, threatens people with deadly weapons, and he's a druggie.  If he wasn't able to handle a basketball at some point in his life we wouldn't think twice about him.  Once in his life he had every bit of good will of people to help him and he chose to turn his back on all of it to be a criminal, repeatedly.  This is a bad person that has lost his right to be around decent people.  He is where he needs to be and should stay there.

[herdman]

A sad situation and probably my favorite Herd basketball player to ever watch for Marshall. That being said, he showed a pattern of illegal behavior and did pull a gun on someone and car jacked them. He could have done something worse and showed the inability to live in a civilized society.  If I were the parole board I would have to deny his request for release at this time.   You have to get past the emotion of it.  Look at the facts and the pattern of behavior. 

[HerdEcon]

The last was most certainly a violent crime but these "three strikes" rules cost us an insane amount of money as a society without making us noticeably safer.  Enhancing a sentence because of repeat offenses is one thing but sticking someone in prison without the possibility of parole when, for example, all three offenses might have resulted in a combined sentence of 15-20 years makes no sense.

Skip's life has been saved by the 3 strikes law and possibly the lives of others including innocent victim(s).  If he would have stayed the same course he was on we would very likely be having this conversation at his funeral. 

No doubt incarcerating someone for life has costs.  But are those costs to society more than the costs of people committing 4, 5, 6 or more crimes?  What is the value of someone's life?  What is the value of an innocent person or child's life? 

How you draw the conclusion that application of 3 strikes laws doesn't make us "noticeably" safer?  I feel safer when a person with a pattern of violent crime or pattern of increasingly violent crimes is incarcerated for life. 

I don't know about Georgia but in West Virginia, like many other states with a 3 strikes law, not just any crime qualifies a person for a possible life sentence under the Habitual Criminal Act (3 strikes law).  There is a pattern of violent crime or a pattern of increasingly violent crime that qualifies a person to be considered for application of the 3 strikes law.  Skip's crimes namely, Burglary, aggravated Robbery of a convenience store, aggravated Robbery of a car, Kidnapping, and use or presentment of a firearm during the commission of a felony, are all violent crimes in West Virginia.  Aggravated Robbery alone could cause a person to be imprisoned for life in WV even without application of the 3 strikes law.  Kidnapping is a capital offense in West Virginia and could also result in a life sentence without application of the 3 strikes law.

Skip and the victims of his crimes are all lucky that no one was more seriously hurt or killed.  Skip is lucky to be incarcerated rather than dead from an overdose or dead as a result of choosing a victim that fought back.

If you do the crime, be prepared to do the time.  Skip did the crimes.  Now he is doing the time.  It's good to see the justice system in Georgia work.  It's doubtful that Skip would have the same remorse (or even be alive) if he wasn't punished for his actions.  Hopefully, Skip learned something and can be a role model for someone in prison who has a chance to get out and turn their life around.

[coalherd]

Hate the situation Skip is in.  The "Three Strikes" Rule ideally would apply on a case-by-case basis rather than just a blanket application.  Without it, however, too many tragic incidents would result when there is a "fourth" or more transgression! 

Similar, IMO, to how we handle the deportation of "illegals" at our border, or, perhaps, our whole immigration process and how it is run.  Too many are sent back across the border into Mexico who subsequently are back in the US before the damn ink is dry on their paperwork!  Can't tell me that some of the social, legal and other problems in many States and Cities aren't at least partially a result of such "policies"!!

[BigJimslade]

Lots of people make the wrong choice and don't realize what it will do to them. He got with the wrong crowd at a young age and unknowingly destroyed a great future.

Oh for gawds sake? he is responsible for his own actions. Stop rationalizing %^)#@ behavior

[herdorbust2]

I don't condone what he did at all and he should have spent time behind bars. But there are people that have done a LOT worse and didn't spend the rest of their life behind bars.

[grannyandpops]

I partied with Skip while attending Marshall. He came to Huntington addicted. He wasn?t the only one I remember hanging at Boneys with another player Huckaby brought from Louisiana. Martin Smith who was possibly an alcoholic and addicted. Never made it a full semester. If I?m not mistaken Skips weapon was a toy. I might be wrong. Another big guard brought in by Huckaby from New Orleans also smoked way too much weed. It was the time and the program. Skip was also a great qb. Marshall had hoped to get his brother who ended up being a rb at Georgia and with the Vikings before going to prison. If skip was anyone?s son on here would you want him out or?safe? in a prison for life where access to drugs, crime including rape are commonplace?