Bigamist and his 'first' wife charged in death of his pregnant wife

A bigamist and one of his wives have been charged on Thursday with the murder of his other wife, who was nine months pregnant with his child.

The pair, Christopher Matthew Henderson, 40 and Rhonda Carlson, 42, of New Market, Alabama, have also been charged in connection with the murder of three other people.
Kristen Chambers Henderson, 35, was found dead along with her son, Clayton Chambers, 8, her mother, Jean Smallwood, 67, and Kristen's nephew, Eli Sokolowski, who was one-year-old. 

In the eyes of the law, the unborn child of Kristen Chambers Henderson, one of four bodies pulled from a fatal fire, will count as another life as her husband and his other wife face capital murder charges.
“In any case, if someone kills a woman, and she is pregnant, then that is killing two people,” explained Bob Becher, chief trial attorney with the Madison County District Attorney’s Office.

That alone qualifies for capital murder charges. The change came with Brody’s Law in 2006, which came about after a pregnant Marshall County woman was shot to death.
“Since 2006, an unborn child, regardless of stage, is considered a person with regard to homicides,” said Becher.
So whether a woman is in her first or final month of pregnancy, the law could count that unborn child as additional life taken.

Police Capt. Dave Jernigan said Kristen Chambers had a hearing in court last week on a protection from abuse order she had filed against Christopher Henderson.  During that court hearing, it was determined he was also married to Rhonda Carlson.

She had then petitioned the court to withdraw the divorce based on the fact that her husband was still married to his first wife and their marriage wouldn't be legal.

She was also granted an order of protection based on her testimony that he had hit her. 

'He has lied about everything since we met,' she wrote in the filing

Capt. Jernigan did not say how the four people died.  He said the investigation is still unfolding as autopsies are being performed on the victims.

 He said it’s believed Christopher Henderson and Rhonda Carlson reacted to the court hearing by going to the residence and committing the act of violence.  Jernigan said there is video from a surveillance system set up at the home that shows both suspects at the house.

The state fire marshal and county fire marshal are trying to pinpoint where the fire started.
The home belongs to her parents.

Marriage records show Carlson and Henderson were married on February 15, 2013.  Henderson and Kristen Chambers were married September 26, 2014.  She filed for divorce in June of this year.
Kristen Henderson lived in the home on St. Clair Lane with her parents, as well as Clayton, her son.

Christopher Henderson and Rhonda Carlson are now in the Huntsville/Madison County Jail, being held without bond.


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