The father of slain Frisco teenager Austin Metcalf is expressing relief following the federal arrest of a Kansas City woman accused of sending violent threats to his family in the weeks after his son’s killer was convicted and sentenced.
Jeff Metcalf said the arrest was long overdue. “Even today I had one, so for someone to be held accountable for their actions, I guess you could say it’s about time,” he said.
The Department of Justice identified the suspect as 34-year-old Sharifa Henderson, also known as Riffa Henderson, who was taken into custody on Friday, the same day Karmelo Anthony was found guilty of murdering Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Henderson sent a threatening Facebook message to a member of the Metcalf family on the day of the verdict. The following day she allegedly called Collin County Government and threatened to “demolish” the family and strangle a family member.
On June 11, according to the federal indictment, Henderson sent another Facebook message reading “don’t worry I ll kill you next” and warned she would “hunt” the family member until she killed them.
Federal investigators traced the messages through phone records and online accounts. Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas Jay Combs addressed the case at a press conference in Plano alongside Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis and Sheriff Jim Skinner.
“Our Constitution recognizes a God-given right to speak our mind. The First Amendment protects that right, but no person has a right to threaten to harm another person. That’s not right. That’s a crime,” Combs said.
Henderson faces three counts of Interstate Communications with a Threat to Injure. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if she is convicted. U.S. Marshals are transporting her to North Texas to face the charges.
Jeff Metcalf says the arrest is only one piece of a much larger problem he has endured since his son’s death. He says he has received more than 100 threats and has been swatted six times. The harassment forced him to change careers entirely.
Metcalf has since channeled his grief into founding the Austin Metcalf Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping young people develop emotional management skills.
“I want somebody to walk up to me in maybe five or 10 years and say the Austin Metcalf Foundation saved my kid’s life,” he said.
Henderson’s attorney has not responded to requests for comment.