Woman gets 14 years in prison for role in stabbing death

EVERETT — A Marysville woman didn’t wield the knife used to kill an 82-year-old man but she is headed to prison for her role in setting him up.

Delaney Henry lived in the same Marysville mobile home park as Arthur Schroeder and helped him with chores here and there. She taught convicted felon Robert Kennedy the unique knock that would have made Schroeder believe that his neighbor was at the door on Jan. 24, 2013, court papers said. Henry also knew that Schroeder was relatively well-off and kept cash around the house.

“Mr. Schroeder died as a direct result of Ms. Henry’s actions, even if she did not stab him,” Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Andrew Alsdorf wrote in court papers.

Henry was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison. She pleaded guilty in January to second-degree murder while armed with a knife under the theory that she was an accomplice to the killing.

Prosecutors allege that Kennedy repeatedly stabbed Schroeder during a methamphetamine-fueled robbery. If he is convicted, Kennedy faces a mandatory life sentence under the state’s persistent offender law. He has prior robbery convictions and a murder conviction would be his third strike. Kennedy’s trial is scheduled for later this year.

On Thursday, Henry, 29, apologized to Schroeder’s family. She also said she’ll regret the time she’ll lose with her two sons, ages 10 and 5.

The slain man’s daughter extended her forgiveness to Henry.

“I forgive her. I don’t forget. I hope every single day in prison she will remember what she did,” the woman said Thursday.

Her youngest son found Schroeder’s battered body lying in his travel trailer. The elderly man had been stabbed four times and his throat had been sliced. His trailer was ransacked. His wallet, jewelry box and pickup truck were missing.

In the hours after the murder, Henry told people that she was responsible for stabbing Schroeder. She also alleged that he had sexually assaulted her and the murder was revenge for the attack. Schroeder was a registered sex offender.

Later, Henry told detectives that she never was sexually assaulted by her neighbor. She also told them that she wasn’t in the trailer when Schroeder was killed. She waited outside as a look out. Two polygraphs concluded that she was telling the truth, court papers said.

Henry did help loot the trailer after the killing.

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Linda Krese said that Henry deserved more than a low-end prison sentence given that she was responsible for setting up the robbery of an elderly man.

“There are consequences for one’s decisions to be involved in criminal activity,” Krese said.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Emergency responders surround an ultralight airplane that crashed Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at the Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington, Washington, resulting in the pilot's death. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Pilot dead in ultralight plane crash at Arlington Municipal Airport

There were no other injuries or fatalities reported, a city spokesperson said.

An example of the Malicious Women Co. products (left) vs. the Malicious Mermaid's products (right). (U.S. District Court in Florida)
Judge: Cheeky candle copycat must pay Snohomish company over $800K

The owner of the Malicious Women Co. doesn’t expect to receive any money from the Malicious Mermaid, a Florida-based copycat.

A grave marker for Blaze the horse. (Photo provided)
After Darrington woman’s horse died, she didn’t know what to do

Sidney Montooth boarded her horse Blaze. When he died, she was “a wreck” — and at a loss as to what to do with his remains.

A fatal accident the afternoon of Dec. 18 near Clinton ended with one of the cars involved bursting into flames. The driver of the fully engulfed car was outside of the vehicle by the time first responders arrived at the scene. (Whidbey News-Times/Submitted photo)
Driver sentenced in 2021 crash that killed Everett couple

Danielle Cruz, formerly of Lynnwood, gets 17½ years in prison. She was impaired by drugs when she caused the crash that killed Sharon Gamble and Kenneth Weikle.

A person walks out of the Everett Clinic on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
The Everett Clinic changing name to parent company Optum in 2024

The parent company says the name change will not affect quality of care for patients in Snohomish County.

Tirhas Tesfatsion (GoFundMe) 20210727
Lynnwood settles for $1.7 million after 2021 suicide at city jail

Jail staff reportedly committed 16 safety check violations before they found Tirhas Tesfatsion, 47, unresponsive in her cell.

In this photo posted to the Washington state Department of Ecology website and taken by the U.S. Coast Guard, people watch as emergency crews respond to the Walla Walla passenger ferry, which ran aground near Bainbridge Island west of Seattle, Saturday, April 15, 2023. (Lt. Cmdr. Brian Dykens/U.S. Coast Guard via AP)
Edmonds-Kingston shuffle: 64-car ferry replaces 202-car boat, for now

The system-wide boat swap stems from the vessel Walla Walla out of service for four weeks for repairs.

A person walks in the rain at the Port of Everett in Everett, Washington on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
First heavy rain event predicted Sunday night for Snohomish County

Starting Sunday evening, 1 to 1½ inches of rain is expected in western Washington. It marks the end of fire season, meteorologists said.

Logo for news use featuring Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. 220118
Clinton man, 61, dies in motorcycle crash Friday

Washington State Patrol lists speed as the cause. No other people or vehicles were involved.

Most Read