Woman accused of trying to torch historic MLK home in Atlanta denied bond
A woman accused of attempting to burn down the historic birth home of Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, Georgia has been ordered to remain in jail without bond.
FOX 5 in Atlanta reported that Fulton County Magistrate Judge Holly Hughes denied bond for 26-year-old Laneisha Shantrice Henderson because of the nature of the crime and based on the premise that her place of residence was unstable.
"She gave an address in a different state. So, I find that there is a likelihood that she may not return to court," Hughes said. "I'm extremely concerned about the randomness of this event. There does not seem to be any reason or tie to that particular location."
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Henderson, a veteran surface warfare specialist of the U.S. Navy who received multiple awards during her service – including a national defense service medal and good conduct medal – has been charged with attempted arson and interfering with government property.
She was seen on video pouring what authorities have said was gasoline out of a large red fuel container and onto the porch of the historic wooden property at about 5:45 p.m. last Thursday.
The woman was also seen on video dressed in all black, dousing plants and coating the windows of the Auburn Avenue house, located just blocks from the King Center, King National Historical Park and historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.
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Two tourists stopped Henderson in her tracks before she was apprehended by two off-duty NYPD police officers until members of the Atlanta Police Department arrived and placed her under arrest.
Zachary Eugene Kempf, from Utah, who shot the shocking video and is one of the two tourists who stopped Henderson, said he was in Atlanta for work reasons when he decided to visit the house. He began recording this footage as he noticed the woman pouring gasoline around the house.
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The video also showed one of the NYPD cops holding Henderson down on the ground with her hands behind her back. She was then escorted away by Atlanta police looking glum and not saying anything.
The home is currently under renovation and closed to visitors until 2025.
King's birth home, a framed two-story Queen Anne-style structure, was built in 1895 and played a vital role in commemorating the early life of the civil rights leader and his siblings.
Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, Michael Dorgan and Landon Mion of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.