A 57-year-old woman named Sandra Lynn Henson has been accused of crashing weddings and stealing cash and credit cards from unsuspecting attendees. It is believed that Henson has been conducting these heists for at least six years across three southern states, making off with tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts and property. Despite being on probation for previous crimes, Henson recently struck again at a wedding in her home state of Mississippi. She appeared in court this week and pleaded guilty to charges of petit larceny, trespassing, and disturbing the peace. Henson was ordered to pay a $650 fine and will reappear in court next year for an update on her case.
Two of Henson’s latest victims expressed their frustration at her punishment, stating that she has robbed people of precious memories and gifts without facing serious consequences. Law enforcement officials, such as Tyler Melton from the Florence Police Department in Alabama, are also frustrated with the situation. Melton believes that Henson, who moves from jurisdiction to jurisdiction committing crimes, should face more severe penalties than just fines and probation.
Henson’s most recent heist occurred at a wedding venue in Belden, Mississippi, about an hour away from her home. She was arrested after suspicious attendees discovered that she had stolen hundreds of dollars from the wedding planner. Henson was booked into jail and posted a $2,000 bond two days later. After her court hearing, she walked out of the courthouse with paperwork in hand.
During the wedding she crashed, Henson wore appropriate attire and blended in with the other guests. She was caught sneaking into the bridal room by the bride’s sister, who became suspicious of her presence. After some questioning, Henson admitted to stealing money from purses and returned the stolen cash when confronted. The bride’s sister contacted a police officer who was attending the wedding, and Henson was subsequently arrested.
It was later discovered that Henson had a notebook in her car with a list of names, dates, times, venues, and even the names of the bride and groom. Some addresses in the notebook were for venues located hours away from where Henson lives, suggesting that she had been targeting weddings across different areas. It is believed that Henson obtained these details from the wedding planning website, The Knot.
This is not the first time Henson has been caught stealing from weddings. In 2017, she was convicted after being caught on video stealing from a wedding. She was placed on probation but continued to commit similar crimes. In 2019, she was accused of crashing wedding receptions in Alabama, where she was charged with theft. She was caught on church video stealing cash and gift cards from a gift table. Henson was released on bail and is set to appear in court in November to face the pending cases against her.
Law enforcement officials and victims are frustrated with the leniency shown towards Henson, as she continues to target weddings and steal from innocent people.
