DAVENPORT, Iowa — The third day of Henry Dinkins' trial, who is accused of murdering 10-year-old Breasia Terrell, has concluded. Family members of Breasia and Dinkins' former girlfriend took the stand Monday, Aug. 14 — all of whom had direct contact with Breasia hours before she disappeared.
The first person to take the stand was Dinkins' biological son and Breasia's half-brother, who is identified only as D.L. His testimony today provided a bombshell in the case. D.L. now says he saw Dinkins shoot Breasia. The defense questioned why this information wasn't brought up in the first place and was "left out."
"I didn't leave it out," D.L. said in response. "I didn't speak about it. I hate speaking about it."
Breasia's mother, Aishia Lankford, also took the stand. The defense asked her about what D.L. said and whether he was one to exaggerate.
"Depends. But not about his sister," Lankford responded. "He wouldn't lie about that."
Lankford claims Dinkins called her the morning of July 10 and said Breasia was missing, asking if the girl was with Lankford. Dinkins claimed to have made a police report but after Lankford called Davenport police, she found out no one had reported Breasia missing. The 911 call from that morning was played in court.
The final person to take the stand Monday was Dinkins' girlfriend at the time, Andrea Culberson, who shared the apartment with Dinkins. She said she woke up at 3 a.m. the night of July 10 to Dinkins and Breasia missing. Culberson said he returned later with Breasia but left again — and did not have the girl when he got home in the morning.
For up-to-date information on the trial, visit News 8's live court blog here.
Case background:
On July 9, 2020, Breasia spent the night with her half-brother, D.L., at Dinkins' Davenport apartment. Dinkins is the father of D.L., who came home the next morning, but Breasia did not.
Breasia was reported missing on July 10. Her remains were found several months later in Clinton County by two fishermen.
On May 5, 2021, then-Scott County Attorney Mike Walton announced Dinkins was being charged with the killing of Breasia, on or around July 10, 2020.
On June 16, 2021, Dinkins pled not guilty to Terrell's murder.
Due to pretrial publicity, Dinkins successfully requested to have his trial moved to a different county on March 25, 2022.
On April 20, 2023, the Iowa Supreme Court made the decision to move the trial to Linn County.
Dinkins also changed lawyers following a breakdown of the attorney-client relationship.
Dinkins waived his right to a jury trial and the case was moved back to a Scott County courtroom.
Watch the trial in its entirety on News 8's YouTube channel