Florence, SC man sentenced to 40 years for maiming wife, burning apartment

A Florence, SC man convicted today of charges filed after he cut off his wife's hands and set fire to their apartment has been sentenced to 40 years in prison by a Kershaw County, SC judge earlier today. Tarus Tramaine Henry, 28, was convicted on counts of assault and battery with intent to kill, 2nd degree arson, and unlawful neglect of a child in the June 2008 attack on the 24 year old woman.

12th Circuit Court Judge Ralph King Anderson sentenced Henry to 20 years for the arson and another 20 years for the assault charge, both counts to run consecutively. Anderson also sentenced Henry to 10 years in prison for the child neglect charges, but those counts will run concurrently with the arson and assault charges.

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.

The trial lasted three days, from jury selection Monday to the verdict today. The victim testified Wednesday morning and the perpetrator testified Wednesday afternoon.

Twelfth Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements III said that he was "very pleased with the outcome of this case. 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.”