Governor Offers Reward for Help with I-20 Attempted Murder Case
Gov. Kay Ivey is offering a monetary reward for information regarding an interstate shooting that happened in October.
Curtis Michael Henchel, a husband and father of two young children, was driving down I-20/59 on Oct. 9, 2020, on their way to Texas to visit relatives. The family was passing mile marker 96 in Tuscaloosa County when a vehicle pulled up next to theirs and began firing rounds into their 2007 GMC Yukon. Henchel, the driver, was hit in the back with multiple bullets, leaving him paralyzed from his torso down.
"Amazingly, the father was able to maintain control of the vehicle, shift it into neutral, and control the vehicle until it stopped," Captain Jack Kennedy, commander of the multi-agency Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes unit, said in an email. "The family had no interactions with any vehicles or other persons that would have provoked this encounter."
The wife and children narrowly evaded being shot. Henchel remains in long-term rehabilitation care, and according to Kennedy, he may never be able to use his legs again.
No suspects are currently on area law enforcement's radar in regards to this case. The case had been regarded as attempted murder, and desperate for answers, the governor is looking to the public to help law enforcement make a break.
"The Violent Crimes Unit requested a reward from the Governor’s Office, and we were informed today that it had been approved," Kennedy said in an email. "...This reward shall include only private citizens and shall not include members or employees of any government law enforcement agency or their relatives. We would like to thank the Governor and her office for their assistance."
Ivey will offer $5,000 to anyone who can provide "information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s)," according to a proclamation delivered Tuesday afternoon.
Kennedy said he hopes the financial incentive will encourage someone to bring forth information that will lead to closing the case. For those who may have been a witness to the crime or who has information about the identification of the shooter or shooters, call the Violent Crimes Unit at (205) 464-8690 or the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office at (205) 752-0616.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Read the entire proclamation from Ivey here: 2020-12-22 Henchel Reward Proclamation