Sex offender Henry Dinkins of Davenport charged with murder, kidnapping of Breasia Terrell

Tony Watt

May. 5, 2021 10:24 am, Updated: May. 5, 2021 4:45 pm

A registered sex offender who had been a person of interest in the July 2020 disappearance of a 10-year-old Davenport girl was charged Wednesday with killing her.

Henry Dinkins, 48, of Davenport, is charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Breasia Terrell.

Scott County Attorney Mike Walton said Dinkins kidnapped the girl last July and shot her to death. Her remains weren’t discovered until March 22 near DeWitt, and her identity was confirmed March 31.

Henry Dinkins (Clinton County Jail photo)

Walton, Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski and Davenport Police Capt. Brent Biggs spoke at a news conference Wednesday morning announcing the charges. Walton said Dinkins is the only person who will be charged at this time.

Breasia Terrell, 10 years old. (Submitted photo)

Breasia was last seen either late July 9 or early July 10. She spent that night with her brother at Dinkins’ home. Dinkins is the boy’s father.

Dinkins was arrested July 10 and later charged with three unrelated counts of violating the sex offender registry. He was the lone person of interest in Breasia’s case and is being held in the Clinton County Jail.

He was moved to the Clinton facility last August because of overcrowding in the Scott County Jail in Davenport.

Henry Dinkins has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Breasia Terrell. Dinkins is accused of kidnapping the 10-year-old girl and shooting her to death, Scott County Attorney Mike Walton said during a news conference Wednesday, May 5, with Davenport law enforcement officials. (Anthony Watt/Quad-City Times)