The two remaining active criminal cases of a Briarcliff woman with a history of attacking people both inside and outside jails, and for sitting mute during court appearances, were brought to a close during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Thirty-one-year-old Vanessa Renee Henschel pled guilty to the charges in her active cases and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by five years suspended imposition of sentence.
As opposed to her silences during past court appearances, psychological examinations and other events surrounding her cases, Henschel did speak freely during her appearance Monday.
She is currently an inmate at the McPherson Unit of the state prison system.
Henschel even managed to pick up new charges while in the Newport facility when she launched what was described as an unprovoked attack on a guard.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the guard walked by Henschel as he was conducting “security rounds” and she struck him once on the left side of his head with her closed fist.
Other correctional officers arrived on the scene and restrained Henschel.
When the officer was interviewed by an investigator from the Arkansas State Police, he said it was difficult to deal with Henschel since she refuses to verbally communicate, but he had had no problem with her and did not know why she lashed out at him.
Following her pattern of behavior, Henschel refused to make any statements regarding the event.
She was sentenced to 36 months of prison time, followed by a 10-year suspended sentence.
According to her record, Henschel has committed a long list of major disciplinary violations while incarcerated. The violations include battery, failure to obey an order, threats to inflict injury, insolence to staff, throwing or attempting to flow substances and refusal to submit to substance abuse testing.
CURRENT CHARGES
Two criminal cases remained open on Henschel – both filed in 2020.
One of Henschel’s charges was picked up in late January 2020 for attacking a homeowner at a residence along County Road 15 after using the man’s truck without permission to make a trip into town and back.
While in jail on charges stemming from the alleged attack, Henschel got in trouble for striking a female jailer on the left side of her face and head using her left fist and forearm.
The jailer recovered from the blow and attempted to restrain Henschel, but the inmate continued to be combative. After help arrived, Henschel was put in a restraint chair for a brief time before being returned to her housing area.
Henschel’s attack on the jailer resulted in charges of second-degree battery and impairing the operation of a vital public facility. She has also attacked fellow inmates for no apparent reason, according to incident reports filed by the sheriff’s office.
CLAIMED SHE LIVED IN BURGLARIZED HOUSE
In the January case, Henschel is charged with aggravated residential burglary, theft of property, aggravated assault, and 3rd degree battery.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the homeowner said he arrived home and was surprised to see his truck being driven up the driveway to his residence. He said a female, later identified as Henschel, exited the truck and went inside the garage. He told investigators he followed her and made contact in the garage.
HENSCHEL ATTACKS HOMEOWNER
After some conversation, Henschel is reported to have punched the homeowner in the head and then armed herself with a pair of “hedge clippers” and attempted to attack him.
The homeowner went to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
The first Baxter County investigator on the scene recognized Henschel from previous encounters. The investigator asked Henschel what she was doing on the property. As opposed to her court appearances, she spoke to the investigator, telling him she lived there.
The investigator asked her where she had gone in the homeowner’s truck and she said she had been to “town and back.”
HENSCHEL MADE HERSELF AT HOME
The homeowner and the investigator walked through the residence. They saw the window over the kitchen sink had been broken and blood was found on the sink and floor.
It appeared Henschel had helped herself to snacks and a soft drink and rested in one of the bedrooms. They also found dresser drawers pulled open and $60 in cash missing from a closet. The homeowner’s wife said items of her clothing and jewelry had also been taken.
It was determined Henschel had been wearing some of the missing clothing and jewelry at the time she was arrested.
VARIOUS METHODS OF ATTACK USED
Through the years, Henschel has used her fists, a knife, a backpack, a forearm and a tool used to trim hedges against her victims.
The victims have included a former friend, her father, jailers, a correctional officer and fellow inmates. According to court records, the attacks were unprovoked.
MENTAL EVALUATIONS
Henschel had been given several psychological evaluations to determine her fitness to proceed in her cases and whether she could be held criminally responsible for her actions. Some of the evaluations were not completed, however, because Henschel would not cooperate with the examiner.
MUTE OF MALICE
Henschel’s refusal to speak in court would have been treated differently in the British legal system of olden times. A process seldom used today allowed a separate jury trial to be held to determine the reason behind a defendant’s refusal to speak.
The jury could find the defendant “mute of malice” or “mute due to a visitation of God.” If a defendant was found to be mute by choice, the person could be tortured until one of two things happened — he spoke or died.
In the United States and most other countries, a defendant enjoys a constitutionally protected right not to speak during court proceedings or police questioning.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI