Who Is Rodney Hinton Jr? Father Convicted of Murdering Deputy Hours After Police Shot Dead His 18-Year-Old Son

Jurors rejected Hinton's insanity defence after considering evidence about his psychiatric history and conduct following the fatal collision.

Rodney Hinton Jr, 40, was convicted of murder on 23 October 2026 over the death of Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Deputy Larry Ray Henderson Jr. Henderson was struck by Hinton's car in Cincinnati on 2 May 2025, hours after Hinton and relatives watched body-camera footage of a Cincinnati police officer fatally shooting his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton, the previous day.

The 10-day trial centred on whether Hinton understood the wrongfulness of his actions when the collision occurred near the University of Cincinnati during a graduation event. The defence focused on his psychiatric history and the distress caused by watching the footage. Prosecutors argued that Hinton deliberately drove towards Henderson and understood that his actions were wrong. Jurors rejected his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Hinton's Mental Health and the Defence Case

Trial evidence included Hinton's diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and other mental-health difficulties. Defence lawyers argued that his psychiatric condition, compounded by the trauma of his son's death, left him unable to understand the wrongfulness of his conduct at the time of the collision.

The defence also advanced a suicide theory, arguing that Hinton may have been trying to kill himself by driving towards a utility pole near Henderson. Witness Patricia Povlitz described seeing the car strike a light pole before bouncing left and hitting the deputy. Two mental-health experts testified that they saw no signs of an acute psychotic episode immediately after the collision. Forensic psychologist Jennifer O'Donnell cited Hinton's demeanour after the crash and his compliance with traffic laws while driving from the Queensgate police facility towards Uptown as evidence that he understood the wrongfulness of his actions.

Ohio's Insanity Test and the Verdict

Under Sections 2901.01(A)(14) and 2901.05 of the Ohio Revised Code, a defendant must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that, because of a severe mental disease or defect, they did not know the wrongfulness of their acts at the time of the offence. The burden rests with the defendant, and a psychiatric diagnosis alone does not determine whether the legal test has been met.

Jurors convicted Hinton of murder, two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of felonious assault. On the two aggravated-murder counts, they found him guilty of the lesser-included offences of reckless homicide rather than aggravated murder. The verdict came on the third day of deliberations. Judge Jody Luebbers had removed the death penalty from consideration after multiple experts testified about Hinton's mental illness during pretrial hearings.

How Ryan Hinton's Death Became Part of the Trial

Ryan Hinton was fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer on 1 May 2025 during a response connected to a stolen-vehicle investigation. Police said Ryan fled while armed and pointed a gun at an officer. Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich later concluded that the officer's use of deadly force was legally justified, determining that Ryan had pointed a loaded gun at an officer. The officer was not charged, and the case was not presented to a grand jury.

Ryan's family disputed the prosecutor's conclusion. The publicly released body-camera footage was described by WVXU as blurry and difficult to interpret. On 17 June 2025, family representative Fanon Rucker said the family planned to file a wrongful-death lawsuit. WVXU reported in December 2025 that legal issues in Hinton's case had delayed the family's plans.

On 2 May, Hinton and relatives watched footage of the shooting at a Cincinnati police facility in Queensgate. Later that day, Hinton's car struck Henderson as the deputy directed traffic near the University of Cincinnati during a graduation event. Henderson had retired from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office a few months earlier but continued working traffic assignments. He had served 33 years in law enforcement.

Sentencing and Appeal

Hinton is due to be sentenced at Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on 16 November 2026. He faces a prison term of 15 years to life, with parole eligibility after 15 years, according to local sentencing coverage. The court has yet to impose the sentence.

Defence lawyer Clyde Bennett II plans to appeal within 30 days of sentencing. Bennett had sought an acquittal on every charge and expressed disappointment with the verdict.