Florence man convicted of maiming wife, arson

A Florence man accused of stabbing his wife, severing her hands and setting their apartment on fire has been convicted of all charges against him after a nearly three-day trial and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Tarus Tramaine Henry, 28, of 4711 Patriot Lane, Apt. C1C, was arrested June 23, 2008, when he went to a Kershaw County hospital to seek treatment for a wound, according to Florence County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Henry was charged with assault and battery with intent to kill, second-degree arson and two counts of unlawful neglect of a child in connection with the assault and fire that happened earlier that day at Patriot Place apartments, off East Palmetto Street.

Henry was sentenced to 20 years for the assault charge and 20 years for the arson charge, Twelfth Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements III said. Those sentences — the maximum for each charge — will run consecutively, 12th Circuit Court Judge Ralph King Anderson ordered.

Anderson also sentenced Henry to 10 years in prison for each of the unlawful conduct charges, but those sentences will be served concurrently with the assault and arson sentences, Clements said.

Jury selection in Henry’s trial took place Monday afternoon and testimony began Tuesday morning. His wife testified Wednesday morning and Henry testified Wednesday afternoon, Clements said.

“I am very pleased with the outcome of this case,” Clements said. “It was a horrible, horrible case and I am very proud of the work done by Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone and his office, and am proud of Assistant (12th Circuit) Solicitor Stephen Hill, who prosecuted the case.”

Henry’s 24-year-old wife was on a ventilator at a Florence hospital and both of her hands had been cut off, a victim’s advocate told Magistrate Judge Belinda Timmons during a June 24, 2008, bond hearing.

The woman also suffered stab wounds through her skull, her spine and her chest, the victim’s advocate said.

The victim’s advocate also relayed information she said the victim told her family. In those conversations, the victim said she was left in the apartment after the attack and crawled out for help.

A witness told deputies he saw the victim leave the apartment covered in blood with what appeared to be large gashes in her head and arm, according to sheriff’s office reports.

The suspect took the woman to a Florence emergency room and left with two children — the couple’s now 19-month-old child and a 5-year-old child of Henry’s from a previous marriage, according to sheriff’s office reports.

In the courtroom during his bond hearing, Henry told Timmons he “felt sorry” for his wife at the time.

He also told Timmons he drove to another county with his two children so that they could stay with his mother.