A federal court sentenced an Oklahoma man to life in prison in February 2020 for kidnapping his stepdaughter in 1997 and holding her captive for nearly two decades, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Henri, 65, of Poteau, Oklahoma, was convicted of kidnapping and of traveling with a minor to engage in a sexual act. Prosecutors said he abducted his stepdaughter, Rosalynn, in 1997 and that the abuse continued for almost 20 years. The Justice Department said she gave birth to nine children, the first in 2000 when she was 15.
In June 2016, Rosalynn escaped with eight of her nine children from a remote village in Mexico where they had been held, People Magazine reported. Her oldest child had reportedly run away before the escape, and the two have since been reunited. The FBI opened a search for Henri soon after her return to the U.S.
On February 7, 2017, an FBI agent was told that Henri had visited the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City trying to obtain a passport. He was arrested about a month later in Dallas. After the arrest, Rosalynn gave People an exclusive statement, saying, “Relief is such a small word in comparison to how I feel about the capture.”
Henri was sentenced on February 20, 2020. Along with life in prison, he received 360 months for traveling with intent to engage in sexual acts with a minor, a $50,000 fine, and an order to pay $50,067 in restitution.
