DAVENPORT, Iowa — Editor's Note: The video attached is from Dinkins' sentencing on Oct. 11.
Henry Dinkins, the man who was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering 10-year-old Breasia Terrell back in 2020, has appealed his guilty verdict and sentencing, according to court documents.
Dinkins was given two consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole last Wednesday, Oct. 11. Court documents show that the next day, Oct. 12, he filed a notice of appeal.
In addition to the appeal, court documents show that Dinkins' defense attorneys, Chad Frese and Joel Waters, have withdrawn from his case. Dinkins will now have either a public defender on his case, or he can choose to represent himself.
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. The day that jury selection was set to begin in Linn County on Aug. 8, Dinkins waived his right to a jury trial. That brought the case back to Scott County for a bench trial under Judge Henry Latham.
Proceedings in Scott County began two days later on Aug. 10. Witnesses testified and evidence was presented over the course of 14 days, with closing arguments wrapping up on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Dinkins was found guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping on Sept. 15.
To read the full court blog, click here.
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