Accused stabber appears in court

Henton

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

LUDINGTON — A 21-year-old Manistee man accused of stabbing a 21-year-old Mason County man at a house party last June appeared in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Oct. 8, for a pretrial hearing.

Derrick Allen Henton is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and third-offense habitual offender. Henton is currently lodged in the Mason County Jail on a $500,000 cash/surety bond.

“There will not be an offer made in this case — it is extremely fairly charged,” said Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Beth Hand. Sentencing guidelines for the stabbing charge are in the range of 29-85 months.

Ludington police officers were dispatched to Corewell Health Ludington Hospital ER where the victim — who had been stabbed several times — was being treated, according to a press release from the Ludington Police Department. He later was transferred to Corewell – Grand Rapids for additional care.

“Through the course of the investigation, officers learned that there was a house party at a residence on the 500 block of North Emily Street, where the suspect, a 20-year-old male from Manistee (who is now 21), stabbed the victim three times, after having a verbal dispute with another subject at the party. After the assault, the suspect fled the area. LPD detectives were able to locate the suspect in Manistee and convinced him to turn himself in. LPD detectives interviewed the suspect, where he admitted to stabbing the victim twice, claiming self-defense.”

Henton is currently on parole for stabbing a Bear Lake man at a party on Washington Street in the City of Manistee on Aug. 31, 2021. He was sentenced to serve 17 months to four years in prison for the stabbing, along with a concurrent term of 23 months to five years for carrying a weapon with unlawful intent. He was released Aug. 1, 2023 after serving about 17 months in prison and has been on parole since, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The maximum term for assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder is 10 years in prison.

The case is set for a final trial conference Nov 19 at 2 p.m.

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