Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Judge Locks Up Mom Who Murdered Her 3 Young Kids

Episode Date: February 17, 2025

Rachel Henry smothered her three young children, Zane, Mireya and Cataleya at a home in Phoenix in January 2020. All of the children were younger than four. Prosecutors were pursuing the death penalty against Henry but recently agreed to spare her life in exchange for a life sentence. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy looks at the horrific crime and sentencing in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: If you or a loved one have suffered physical or mental health issues due to video games, visit https://vgclaims.com/crimefix to answer less than 10 questions and check your eligibility to file a claim!Host:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5CRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law & Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. She had a duty to protect her children from anyone or anything who would try to harm them. But unfortunately, in this case, she was that thing. Rachel Henry is going to prison for murdering her three young children. This is obviously one of the more horrific cases that this court has ever had before. I take you to the hearing where Henry's life was spared. Welcome to Crime Fix. I'm Anjanette Levy. Rachel Henry did the unthinkable. She murdered her three

adorable little kids. They were all younger than three. Their names were Zane, Maria, and Cataleya. Before I get to Henry's sentencing in Maricopa County, Arizona, I want to look back on the case and how those sweet children were killed by their own mother. It started on January 20th, 2020 in Phoenix. Police were called to the home where Henry was living with her children, their father, and other family members. Please. Okay. Make sure traffic, fire goes where they're at. Oh, my God. I can't. Oh, my God.

Get her. Get her and get her out. Move out of the way. Here, I'll get this one. Where were they? The women in the body-worn camera video believed that those three little kids were napping, but then they realized that the children were actually dead. Where were they?

They were taking a nap right there. Where are they? They were taking a nap right here. I didn't check on them. I thought they were sleeping. Yeah, let's go. Hey, out. Yeah, there's a cop right here. No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. I know,, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

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on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come No! What is the baby? AHHHHHHHHH! Hey, come here, come here. We're gonna talk out here. Hey, are there any pain medications in the house? Any pills?

Just the medicine that she has. All the medicine she has to meet, I guess. Right here in the drawer. Get this thing. Right here in the drawer. Okay, hey. right here okay hey I know I know what's going on there keep on going back inside yeah hey it's okay it's okay go outside outside outside, control those two. Everyone monitor this channel. I'm going to go have a death on all three.

This was a horrific, horrific scene. These three little kids were dead. It defies the laws of nature, and there was no apparent reason for their deaths. The family members were understandably beside themselves. Rachel Henry, the mother of those babies, seemed a little bit upset, but not like the others at the home. No! No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Is there a chair or something she can sit in? Maybe that one? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Thank you. I appreciate that. No! Did you want to sit down? Oh my God. Can I get your name, ma'am? Rachel Henry. Rachel Henry? Okay.

My baby. What is your date of birth, Rachel? We went to WIC today to try and get him up because they were sick. We were trying to get him an appointment and I told her, so many times, please take me to the doctor. Please take me to the doctor. And she wouldn't. And I've been giving them some ibuprofen because they're sick and they have crampy,

they're not feeling good, the baby's teething and they have fevers and everything and she still wouldn't take them to the doctor. She never wanted to take them to the doctor. And I just, oh my gosh. They went and put them in the doctor's napkin and they kept going. They kept saying, oh, it's good for you. Donuts. I didn't want to go to the doctor. I didn't have time to nap. I didn't have time to eat.

I didn't have time to eat. I didn't have time to eat. I didn't have time to eat. I didn't have time to eat. He never wanted to eat. And I said he needed to go to the doctor. And no one ever wanted to take him to the doctor. And she said she couldn't get off work.

And I don't have a vehicle, I don't have a job, and I can't. They can't help. They just put him in for a nap and they said that they were sleeping. No. I need you to stay out here with me. I need you to stay out here with me, okay? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, games are engineered for addiction. The claims include making sense of the magical hold that video games seem to have over people where they can't put the controller down. Every win triggers a hit of dopamine that creates a cycle of compulsion, which disrupts daily life and harms mental health. Our legal sponsors are taking on this industry that has, at many times, in some people's opinion, put profit over safety. They're working to potentially get compensation for all of those impacted. If you or a loved one have suffered

physical or mental health issues because of video games, visit vgclaims.com slash law and crime to answer less than 10 questions and check your eligibility to file a claim. Rachel Henry acts like her children were ill and blames their father for not wanting to take them to the doctor. She kept telling me to clean the house. Everyone told me to clean the house. I was cleaning the house. I did the laundry.

I was cleaning it. I thought they were sleeping. They fell asleep watching a movie. And I came home and he was laying on the couch. And I told him to watch it. Hi, bud. Oh, sorry. I told him to watch it. He was laying on the couch and I told him to watch him. Hi, bye. Oh, sorry.

I told him to watch him. He was laying on the couch. This is, um... He was laying on the couch. Mom. Mom. Rachel. Henry.

Cody. He was laying on the couch since he got home. And then we went to go get a pizza. That's what I thought. And then I went to check on them. I told him to check on them. Please, go. My babies.

I want my babies. Please, go. I know you want to go in there, ma'am, but I can't let you back in there. Okay? I just need you to sit out here with me. Okay? I was going to work today because it's a holiday. We didn't know it was a holiday.

I was going to get my driver's license. I was going to get a job. And I can get my own place and everything. And my babies will be fine. He wanted to go take the babies a daycare. And I understand why he can never handle the babies. But, I mean, nobody would. I mean, I just thought they were sleeping.

I just thought they were sleeping. Yeah, I know. I already sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Why? Why me? Why me? He has friends! Oh my baby!

She can't tell me to put him to sleep, put him to sleep, put him to sleep, put him to sleep, what the fuck? I don't want him to play, I was gonna take him out and playing, what the fuck? And I wanted to play, I was gonna take them out and play. They kept wanting me to put them to sleep. And they were sick and I never gave them any medicine or anything. And I just thought they were sleeping. No. No. What time did you put him down for a nap? It's 5.30. What time is it now? It's about 8 o'clock. Oh, okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay's 5.30. What time is it now? It's about 8 o'clock. They're up all night most of the time. You don't get them to go to sleep until like 3.

Rachel Henry sounded like a grieving mother, possibly in shock, and maybe she was grieving. But what happened to those precious children was her doing. The great aunt of the father's children recalled finding those children. to wake them up because they'll be up all night he said he's in 13 and that's all and everything just i don't know anything after that i just i started freaking out i was like what what i grabbed the baby and then it went and i grabbed and then i saw the other kids too it's all three of them it's my mom like how am i gonna tell her just have her call call you back mama she'll never call you back. Mama. Or you'll call her back. I have to talk to you fast, Mama. Mama, the babies are dead. No, no, no, no. Don't say that.

You don't know that. Do not say that. Okay? Don't say that. You don't know that. We don't know that. All right? Oh, Mama.

Mama. I got to get off the phone, okay? I will call you in a little while. Mama, all three of them. I will call you in a little while. Don't say that. Don't say that. Mama, they might be okay. We don't know. We don't know. Mama, Mama, no. Just don't think that. The great aunt and the officer aren't talking long when she makes this statement. I told him, I said, Pedro, the girl is weird. I'm afraid we're going to come home one day and find her drowning the kids in the tubbers.

Wow. Then police talk with Rachel Henry. I came out here and I couldn't get a job because I lost my driver's license. And I couldn't find it at all. And all I wanted to do was get a job, and I kept trying and trying and trying. I was trying to get my life, turn my life around, get my act right. And I still am, and I'm definitely going to now, in the most possible way. Henry then reveals that she has a drug problem.

I had drug problem. I don't even ask the Lord for forgiveness because I mean, I want to forget my past and I want a better future. I want to forgive myself. I want to move on, move forward. I want to go back to school. And just, I'm not going to do that anymore anyway. And I just, that's why I just, I'm to give me this so I can move on and start over and start fresh and forgive myself because I have a problem. And this first step to recovery is a thing that I have a problem with. What was your addiction? First it was weed and then it was nothing but amine and then I stopped and I'm like I'm not going to be an amour because I don't want to be like that ever again.

I don't want to be a better person and I want to go back to school. I want a better job. I want better opportunities in life. And I mean, I never asked for any of the offers that I had because I was crazy and stupid. So Rachel Henry's three children are in the house. They're dead. And she's talking about wanting a better job and better opportunities and wanting to go back to school. The conversation continues. if given the chance I can actually make that happen. And definitely that I don't. Because I mean, I'm going to do everything I can in order to do their life.

Later on, Rachel Henry confesses to murdering Zane, Maria, and Catalaya. An affidavit says that Rachel admitted to smothering each child, starting with the one-year-old female. Rachel was playing with the one-year-old female and wrestling on top of her. Rachel felt the one-year-old female's breathing was obstructed, but continued to impede her breath by placing her hand over the one-year-old female's mouth. This is a one-year-old child whose mother is supposed to do whatever she can to protect her. The affidavit says the little girl kicked, trying to stop her mom from killing her. The affidavit continues. Rachel stated the one-year-old female kicked as she did so while

the three-year-old male yelled no at her and then attempted to get her to stop. Rachel knew she had killed the one-year-old female when she stopped kicking Rachel. The three-year-old male attempted to help the one-year-old female by punching Rachel to no avail. Rachel also killed Zane and the seven-month-old baby, Cataleya. The document continues. Rachel fed the seven-month-old female a bottle in her bedroom until she fell asleep. Rachel sang a song as she placed her hand over her face and impeded her breathing. Rachel sang to the seven-month-old female until she became unconscious and died. Rachel placed all of the children in a position on the living room couch as if they were taking a nap. Rachel Henry was charged with murdering her three children and prosecutors said they

would pursue the death penalty against her. What Rachel Henry described was so unbelievably horrifying. It was sickening. No one who thinks rationally can even begin to understand what she did or why. But Henry then pleaded guilty. In exchange, prosecutors took the death penalty off the table and agreed to a life sentence for Henry. Prosecutor Christopher Salmon spoke as Henry was formally sentenced. It is probably hard to find somebody who had a role in this case who hasn't been affected by it. I would put obviously the family and friends in there. You read the letter from the victim's aunt talking about how this has affected her, how it's affected the children's father. Obviously, there's friends that have been affected by it. It has had an effect on the police officers and the fire and medical personnel who responded to that scene that day.

A lot of the fire personnel thought, because there was a miscommunication, they thought it was a drowning call. They thought they were responding out to a scene to try to save children. And when they got there, found out that there were already three dead children inside of the house when they got there. I know the defense noted this in their sentencing memo. I think we noted it in ours. Some of the personnel, the first responders, are still in therapy and have been affected by what happened, even though this was five years ago. I would add attorneys to that list as somebody who himself responded out to the scene that day. Sammons talked about the effect the case has had on all of the people involved.

Why this has had effect on so many people involved in this case isn't really a surprise. It's because the three victims, Zane, Maria, and Katalaya, are three innocent children all under the age of four. The defendant is obviously going to prison for the rest of her life because she did the unthinkable in this case, Judge. She had a duty to protect her children from anyone or anything who would try to harm them. But unfortunately, in this case, she was that thing. These three children in this case were completely helpless to protect themselves from her, to stop her from what she did to them that day. And all three of these murders against Zane, Maria, and Katalaya were senseless and quite frankly cruel. The defense noted in their sentencing memo that she is going to have to think about this and the effect that it's had

for the rest of her life, and I hope she does, because she took the futures of three children away from them that day when she did what she did. In terms of the mitigation, Judge, I'm not going to touch much on it, because I think the defense will articulate it better than I will today. I would note that the defendant, Ms. Henry, took responsibility for this when she admitted to the police what she did that day when they interviewed her, and she's obviously taken responsibility now when she entered into this plea agreement for natural life in prison. Then it was time for Rachel Henry's attorney, Alan Tavisalli, to speak. First of all, I would like to express my deepest sympathies,

condolences for the loss of Zane, Maria, and Katalia. They were so young and their lives were tragically taken from them. I'm personally deeply sorry for their loss and Rachel is as well. This is a tragedy of monumental proportions and we are here on this solemn day to give this tragedy a final resolution. Next, I would like to say that we believe the sentence in this case is appropriate. We can never bring back the lives of these three children, but Rachel is ready to begin to make up for that, for this unfathomable loss of her children by spending the rest of her life in natural prison, in natural life in prison. It is no small sacrifice, but it is one that she's willingly and sorrowfully accepting as she's

entered into the plea agreement. Tavisoli then spoke about what could have contributed to Rachel Henry systematically taking the lives of her three young children. Miss Warner and I have had this case for five years. In that time, we have explored different theories in the case and have concluded there were a variety of factors that led to this tragedy. And had any of these factors not occurred, it may have prevented the deaths of these children. There was strong evidence of postpartum depression, mood disorder, dissociation, severe depression, fetal

alcohol, spectrum disorder, and that can explain some of Rachel's mental state at the time. Her social history, much of which was provided to the court and is incorporated into the sentencing memo, is also another clear factor. And the complete lack of support that she experienced at the time of the offense Is another factor judge? However, even though we we've investigated this case It is still kind of a mystery in the sense that we may never know exactly what was going on that day With Rachel and Rachel can't explain it or remember it herself

In any articulable way that can make sense to herself and to everyone else. It's important to note that this is the explanation for these horrible offenses and not an excuse. In no way does it justify what she's done. For those people that have only a fraction of the information about her case in the media, not knowing anything about who she is, and who have tried to capitalize on her case, I would like to say that she will be punished for the rest of her life. Tavasali then spoke about Rachel Henry's record while she's been incarcerated. Not only will she be imprisoned and given no chance to get out, but she will live with the knowledge of the gravity of her offenses and must live

without the loving presence of her children for the rest of her life. It's also important to note that up to the time of their deaths, Rachel was always described as a loving mother. In the time that we have represented her, she's always been kind and thoughtful, providing us all with origami figures she's made for us, me and my staff. Equally important is the fact that in the five years that she's been in the Estrella Jail, which can be described as kind of a junior high school on steroids, she hasn't received one ticket for misbehaving, and that's nothing short of a miracle in there, Judge.

Especially with Rachel being diminutive, she's an easy target for bullies and other behavior, negative behavior that's directed toward her. Rachel Henry decided not to speak, and it was time for the judge to sentence her. There's not much more this court can add. This is obviously one of the more horrific cases that this court has ever had before it. The court, however, greatly appreciates both memorandums from the parties, especially, frankly, I guess the defense memorandum that adds context to, doesn't explain anything, but adds context to perhaps what leads up to something like this. The court also agrees that the resolution in this matter is a just resolution and that the state in dropping the notice of death with the plea agreement

in the decision making came to a very just decision in doing so. As to counts one, two, and three, then the court finds that probation is not appropriate. The court finds based on the fact of the dropping of the notice of death there's only one sentence that may be imposed on each count. It's therefore the judgment of the court as follows. As to count one, imposition a sentence, excuse me, defendant a sentence to a term in the Department of Corrections for a term of natural life to be in today's date. Rachel Henry hugged her attorneys as deputies prepared to lead her away. She's going to prison for the rest of her life. Her attorneys trying to comfort her. They have a much different relationship with her and likely a different perception of her

than the public does. As the judge said, it's a horrific case and those left behind, the only thing they can do is try to move forward each day, remembering little Zane, Maria, and Cataleya. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Ann Jeanette Levy. Thank you so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.