An Alabama man has been arrested on murder charges after stabbing his pregnant girlfriend to death, just a few short months after being released from prison.
Treasure Hennessy, 37, was eight weeks pregnant and the mother of two young boys, and had recently fled to a fire station in an effort to escape her abusive boyfriend.
Bradley Wayne Stokes had been released from prison in June, and began dating Hennessy, who quickly became pregnant. In a press conference, Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor said Hennessy was found with several stab wounds outside of the fire station; Stokes allegedly discovered where she was living and hid in wait for her, stabbing her to death to prevent her from reporting his domestic violence.
Shortly before the murder, Stokes posted on Facebook about wanting to make his relationship with Hennessy work. “I hope we can work our relationship out my love and [I] can’t wait to see our baby,” he wrote. “I pray that’s God will bring us back together like we was.”
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Stokes had served 14 years of a 16-year sentence for weapons charges as well as manslaughter, for the 2008 shooting death of his then-girlfriend Crystal Bailey. Hennessy had made at least two domestic violence calls against Stokes during their short relationship, and moved out of the home she shared with Stokes in August.
She moved into the Fort Mitchell Fire Station in an effort to protect herself from him. During this period, Stokes remained on probation.
“I believe the evidence will show that Mr. Stokes was waiting and hiding for her at that location,” Taylor said, adding, “I believe that the evidence in this case will show Mr. Stokes’ motive for this crime was he felt like Ms. Hennessy was going to sign a warrant for domestic violence on him which would violate his probation and send him back to prison for the remainder of his sentence.”
Reports indicate that Stokes will face murder charges for both Hennessy and her preborn baby.
