The trial of the Davenport man accused of kidnapping and and murdering Breasia Terrell will start Thursday in Scott County.
Henry Earl Dinkins waived his right to a jury trial Tuesday, opting to have his case heard in front of judge. The trial is slated to start at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The trial was moved from Scott County to the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids after the Iowa Supreme Court granted a change of venue April 22, 2022. Jury selection began Tuesday, but jurors were sent home when Dinkins' attorneys announced his decision.
Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham leads the prosecution, while Dinkins is represented by Chad Frese and Joel Waters.
District Court Judge Henry Latham ruled Tuesday that Dinkins' trial can be held in Scott County since he will not face a jury. The prosecution and the defense offered no objection to the move.
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Breasia was 10 years old when she was reported missing July 10, 2020, after spending the night with her younger brother at the apartment of his father, Dinkins.
Dinkins immediately became a “person of interest” in Breasia’s disappearance.
On March 22, 2021, two fishermen found human remains in a nearly hidden pond three miles north of DeWitt. The next day, investigators from the Division of Criminal Investigation finished removing the remains from the pond.
Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski confirmed on March 31, 2021, the remains were those of Breasia Terrell. Dinkins was charged with Breasia's murder on May 5, 2021. Then-Scott County Attorney Mike Walton announced the charges during a news conference at the Davenport Police Department.
Dinkins has been in one jail or another since July 10, 2020. First arrested for violations of the sex offender registry, Dinkins was held in the Scott County Jail before being moved to the Clinton County Jail. On April 12, 2022, he was moved to Marshall County Jail to be closer to his attorney.
On Oct. 7, 2022, Latham granted a request to delay the trial filed by Dinkins’ attorney, Chad Frese, in order to “allow them adequate time to prepare.” On Dec. 9, 2022, Latham scheduled Dinkins’ jury trial for Aug. 8, 2023.