Son charged in mother's slaying

28-year-old has history of domestic violence, trespassing arrests

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 28-year-old man police found sitting outside his mother's apartment Wednesday afternoon was arrested and charged with her murder.

According to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Chris Butler, Henry Harriford went to 59-year-old Jenette Harriford's apartment to ask her for money. Police found her body inside the unit at Woodcreek at Regency Square Apartments.

Butler said she was suffocated.

Police said a lot of things went right to allow them to make a quick arrest. Co-workers reported her missing when she didn't show up for work, and the son was still on the scene when they arrived about 1:30 p.m.

By the time officers left the apartment after finding the body, Henry Harriford had run away. But by the end of the night he was in custody and charged with murder. Police said Henry Harriford confessed to the killing.

Butler said Henry Harriford had an extensive criminal history, including several assaults. He'd been arrested 21 times and had been involuntarily committed under the Baker Act 17 times.

Henry Harriford, listed as a transient, was arrested earlier this year for domestic violence. His mother had an indefinite protective injunction against him, which police said he violated in April.

COURT DOCUMENT: Domestic violence protective injunction

Of Henry Harriford's 21 previous arrests, 17 were on trespassing charges at his mother's apartment, all since 2010. He'd been arrested three times just this month, after being found sleeping on the porch of his mother's apartment or on the property of the complex, police said.

Former State Attorney Harry Shorstein said Henry Harriford's case highlights the limitations of injunctions.

"Theoretically (they're) a great tool," Shorstein said. "But in practice, when it rises to the level of the tragic case we're seeing in Jacksonville today, it's by no means a joke, but it's merely a piece of paper, and it can't stop a bullet, and it can't stop a knife or other grave violence."

Shorstein said an injunction for protection against domestic violence, while not effective in the most violent cases, does serve a purpose to protect many people.

"Many of his arrests were for trespassing, which were nonviolent offenses and minor misdemeanor offenses. He was arrested for it and released," said News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith.

According to police reports, Henry Harriford "refuses to take his medication," "is a known mentally ill person suffering from schizophrenia," and "suspect suffers from schizophrenia."

"If they don't determine that he may be a threat to society, then they will release him, because the Baker Act is not a criminal act," Smith said. "So he can't be held and arrested (just) because he is a Baker Acted, because he has not committed a crime."

"The decision to commit an individual would be made by family/physician/the courts -- some combination thereof, depending on circumstances," a JSO spokeswoman said in a statement.

Asked why Henry Harriford stuck around after killing his mother, Butler said, "There's really no way to rationalize irrational behavior."

Mental health CEO: 'There isn't a system' for mentally ill who commit crimes

Denise Marzullo, president and CEO of Mental Health America of Northeast Florida, said she's not surprised to learn of Henry Harriford's situation, saying the system is broken when it comes to treating the mentally ill who commit crimes.

"The truth is that there really isn't a system, and we've got to create one," Marzullo said. "We are the second to lowest eight out of 50 states when it comes to mental health funding, and our community is the lowest-funded county in the state of Florida. So when it comes to funding our mental health system, it's just not there."

Shorstein agreed that needs to change.

"It's like everything else. I know all legislatures are short on money, but it's about prioritizing the needs," Shorstein said. "And I just can't think of anything more important and having a greater impact on the criminal justice system than mental illness and drugs. And we're not doing a good job addressing either one."

Marzullo said as it stands, if someone is a threat to themselves or somebody else, they will be involuntarily committed under the Baker Act. It happened to Henry Harriford 17 times. That means that each time he was hospitalized for about 72 hours until he stabilized and was given 30 days of medication, which police reports show he refused to take.

"That's why you'll see numerous Baker Acts, you'll see numerous hospitalizations with some of your more severe mentally ill, because they don't get them the follow-up care," Marzullo said.

Smith said law enforcement can only do so much.

"Police, once they make the arrest, they are dropped off at the jail, then it's up to the court system to determine what needs to be done at that point," he said.

In the past, the courts would send people like Henry Harriford to state hospitals, but they don't exist anymore, and Marzullo said there is little funding for outpatient treatment services.

"They go to the court system, and unfortunately there's just nowhere to send them. Even if you mandate treatment, they can't pay for it, and there's no place that can take them," Marzullo said.


About the Authors:

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.