Louisiana woman convicted of killing husband and dousing him with gasoline

CADDO PARISH, La. (TCN) -- A 45-year-old woman has been convicted of fatally shooting her husband and pouring gasoline on him.

According to the Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office, on June 26, a jury found Charlene Henderson guilty of the second-degree murder of her husband, 45-year-old Larry Clark, as well as possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. She is scheduled to be sentenced in July and faces a mandatory life sentence for the murder conviction and five to 20 years at hard labor without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension for the firearm conviction.

During the trial, evidence and testimony revealed in the early hours of May 16, 2022, Henderson reportedly fatally shot Clark and then hid his body under carpet. The district attorney's office said she texted a photo of him to a relative before calling 911 shortly after and reporting Clark's death.

According to prosecutors, officers responded and noticed an "overwhelming smell of gasoline" in the home. Ashes reportedly covered Clark's body under the carpet. During the trial, jurors saw the photo Henderson took of her husband. In it, there was reportedly no gun nearby, but police photos showed a firearm by his head.

In her testimony, Henderson "reported for the first time being scared for her life when she shot Clark," the district attorney's office said.