An Ionia man who allegedly killed a woman in Benton County on Wednesday, May 15, and has been charged with two felonies, entered a plea of not guilty during his arraignment hearing on Tuesday, May 21.
According to a news release, at approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities responded to a residence in Ionia, where a woman said 45-year-old Travis C. Henderson was pointing a shotgun at her. Upon arrival, 47-year-old Khristy Clark was found deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. Henderson reportedly fled the scene in a pickup truck that was later recovered in a remote area east of Ionia. Multiple law-enforcement agencies conducted a search of the surrounding area; however, Henderson was not found at that time.
According to a post on the Benton County Sheriff’s Department’s Facebook page, Henderson was taken into custody after a short standoff with law enforcement at about 10 p.m. Thursday, May 16.
Online court documents say Henderson has been charged with a Class A Felony for First-Degree Murder and an Unclassified Felony for Armed Criminal Action. The judge has ordered no bond.
Henderson’s next hearing is scheduled to be held at 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 11, at Benton County Circuit Court.