Man escapes courthouse, then apprehended

Larry Henry, left, paces a ledge near Duck River dam while Cpl. Rick Gann of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department keeps an eye on him.
(T-G Photo by David Melson)

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Larry Henry of Murfreesboro escaped the custody of deputies Thursday after his bond was revoked. While handcuffed, Henry apparently opened a second story window and fled on foot.
(T-G Photo by Brian Mosely)

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That was the statement of one courtroom observer after a man escaped the custody of deputies by climbing out a second story window of Bedford County Courthouse Thursday afternoon and fleeing.

Larry Randall Henry II, of Crater Road, Murfreesboro, surrendered after a standoff of slightly over an hour near the Duck River dam in downtown Shelbyville.

Henry had appeared before Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell earlier in the afternoon, where he had his bond revoked for failing to pay costs for a public defender.

Prisoners awaiting court appearances are usually kept in an unused jury room on the second floor of the courthouse next to the building's main courtroom, but Henry apparently opened a window in an adjoining men's room and made his escape.

Henry was handcuffed by deputies but reportedly was not shackled. Footprints were discovered in landscaping next to the east entrance to the courthouse.

Deputies found Henry approximately 10 minutes later at Fisherman's Park a block away from the courthouse.

Henry, who had removed the handcuffs, descended a steep, wooded embankment and was standing next to a chain-link fence atop narrow concrete foundations at the old Shelbyville powerhouse.

The location is reachable only by a narrow passageway.

Henry stood on a ledge smoking cigarettes, yelling at law enforcement personnel and a growing crowd of observers, and talking to deputies on a nearby bluff who were attempting to convince him to surrender. Only the negotiators responded.

He claimed law enforcement had charged him without fully investigating the case and "the newspaper and 10 o'clock news" had hurt his family by publicizing his name when he was charged but not yet convicted.

Henry told officers at one point he intended to stay on the structure until they left. Sheriff Randall Boyce told him they would stay all night if necessary.

Henry, who was clad in a thin shirt and no jacket, surrendered as the sun set, temperatures became chilly and the Bedford County Fire Department brought a large ladder truck. Plans were to lower the ladder so deputies could reach Henry more easily.

Henry was taken to Bedford County Jail later Thursday night after being checked at Heritage Medical Center, officials said.

He is accused of committing a daylight home invasion in which a 13-year-old girl hid under her grandmother's bed while he allegedly went through the home. A trial date of Jan. 21, 2010, has been set on a charge of aggravated burglary.

According to a report by Deputy Kevin Holton, the girl had been home alone from school with an illness when she heard a knock on the front door but did not answer it.

However, the report states that Henry allegedly walked to the rear of the home and began tampering with the back door.

The girl hurried to the door in the home's kitchen that led to the garage and locked it, but according to the report, as she made her way back to the living room, she heard the kitchen door bust open.

The girl told authorities she ran to her grandmother's bedroom and got under the bed and could hear Henry allegedly "going through items in the house"

Henry then allegedly entered the bedroom where the young teen was hiding and began going through the nightstand beside the bed, when he allegedly looked under the bed, saw the girl, and then ran out of the house.

The girl was able to give a description of the man she saw, as well as the make of the vehicle he was driving.

Henry has also served time in Rutherford County for a burglary conviction, Bedford County officials said.