A Toronto man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after killing his parents and then trying to pin the horrific crime on his own brother.
Alpha Henry, 32, was sentenced on Friday, March 27, after being found guilty of the second-degree murders of his parents, Colin Henry, 68, and Veronica Henry, 67. He was also sentenced for the attempted murder of his brother, Daniel Henry, in a case that stunned Canada because of just how calculated and brutal it was.
The judge ordered Alpha to serve a life sentence with no chance at parole for 17 years. That sentence will run at the same time as a 14-year sentence for trying to kill Daniel, the brother he later tried to frame for the murders.
The killings happened in September 2022 inside the family’s apartment in Toronto’s Rexdale neighborhood. According to the court, Colin and Veronica were repeatedly stabbed to death. Their bodies were then soaked in gasoline. Veronica had also suffered blunt force injuries to her face, making the attack even more horrifying.
Police were called to the apartment around 1:40 a.m. on September 21, 2022. When officers arrived, they found Alpha inside along with the bodies of his parents in the bathtub.
But the violence did not end there.
During the trial, the court heard that after murdering his parents, Alpha tried to clean up the apartment and buy himself more time. Using his mother’s phone, he messaged Daniel, who was away on an international work trip, to find out when he would be coming home.
When he learned his brother would not return until the next day, the judge said Alpha made full use of the extra time. He cleaned the apartment, stole cash, sought out a sex worker, and then came back with pizza before setting the next part of his plan in motion.
That plan, prosecutors said, was to attack Daniel and make it look like he was the killer.
When Daniel finally returned, Alpha allegedly went after him with a knife. But Daniel fought back and managed to wrestle the weapon away. That failed attack may have saved his life.
After the struggle, Alpha ran to a nearby gas station and asked someone to call 911. He then told the operator that Daniel had attacked him and murdered their parents.
The story quickly fell apart.
The judge said Alpha “pivoted” and tried to cast blame on his brother, but police quickly realized it was a setup. Daniel was released unconditionally and was never charged.
During sentencing, the judge made it clear just how serious the crimes were, warning that if Daniel had not fought back, he could have been killed too.
She described the offenses as brutal and said Alpha’s moral blameworthiness was significant. The court also found that he had shown no real insight into his behavior, leaving little hope for rehabilitation.
As the sentence was handed down, the court also heard heartbreaking victim impact statements from loved ones who remembered Colin and Veronica as kind, compassionate, and deeply faithful people who cared for others and were devoted to their church.
Colin’s sister, Yvonne Henry D’Avilar, said what happened to them will never be forgotten.
“Our family is not the same, knowing how their lives were taken,” she said in a statement read in court. “My life will never be the same again. They are gone, but they will forever live in our family’s hearts.”
A family friend, Janet Bernard, also paid tribute to the couple, saying they gave so much of themselves and never expected anything in return. She described them as examples of loving generosity and quiet dignity.
