Chris Henry's Death: Loleini Tonga, The 911 Calls & The Regret

By Sam Brand Posted Dec 17th 2009 10:34PM

In April 2008 an Ohio judge called Chris Henry a "one man crime wave." It turned out the talented football player was innocent of the charges alluded to by the overeager judge. Henry was guilty of many other breaches of the law. But the public was always quick to attack the troubled wide receiver, regardless of how he behaved. Nobody is attacking Henry today, and for good reason. The 26-year-old phenom appeared to be turning his life around before he was thrown from his fiancee's truck on Wednesday. "Just at the time he was running to daylight," Bengals president Mike Brown said today, "his life was snuffed out."

Chris Henry – The 6'4" Louisiana native might have been too good for his own good. He was too talented to graduate, entering the NFL draft after only his second season on the college field. He was too fast for his frame, injuring his knee on a 66 yard catch during the Bengals first playoff game in 15 years. And he was too valuable to keep off the field, as Brown invited Henry back onto the Bengals just months after kicking him off for bad behavior.

Reaction – Everyone has something to say about Chris Henry. He was a special and oft misunderstood young man. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer told reporters, "There was a lot of speculation about who he was, but the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was... were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." Bengals guard Bobbie Williams said, "Chris was responsible, dependable, loved football. He had made the changes he needed to make." Star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, whose stats Henry padded by opening up the field and diverting defenders' attention, choked back tears in the Bengals locker room today. "He was doing everything right. He's been doing everything right," Ochocinco said. "I don't see how Chris was supposed to go already. Especially when you're on the right path."

Loleini Tonga – Loleiini Tonga, or "Mrs. C. Henry" as she calls herself on MySpace, is the 25-year-old mother to 3 of Henry's children and the woman alleged to be at the wheel of the pickup that threw him into a North Carolina street on Wednesday. On Tuesday Tonga posted a message on MySpace claiming she and Henry had just paid for their wedding pictures and rings. A day earlier she wrote that her "WeDding dreSs is oFF da ChaiN." Today she is being investigated for inadvertently killing the man she planned to marry.

Chris Henry 911 Call – Two 911 calls were made in connection with Chris Henry's death. An unidentified woman following the yellow pickup allegedly driven by Tonga was the first to call. She described the situation as "a black man on it with no shirt on, and he's got his arm in a cast and black pants on." She continued, "He's beating on the back of this truck window... I don't know if he's trying to break in or something. It just looks crazy. It's a girl driving it." The truck then turned off the street and was lost. Moments later another call came in claiming a man in his 20s was lying in the street. He was "definitely unconscious" said the concerned citizen. Chris Henry was picked up by an ambulance shortly thereafter and rushed to the hospital. He was pronounced dead at 6:36 a.m. Thursday morning.

Tags: carson palmer, CarsonPalmer, chad johnson, chad ochocinco, ChadJohnson, ChadOchocinco, chris henry, chris henry 911 tapes, chris henry dead, chris henry death, ChrisHenry, ChrisHenry911Tapes, ChrisHenryDead, ChrisHenryDeath, cincinnati bengals, CincinnatiBengals

Comments

(30)

Thursday 17 December

By leroy

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That is so sad.Why is it just when a thug is said to be turning his life around after years and years of criminal behavior ?? Hi passes away (not in a football way)?? But the witnesses did say he was beating on the back window of the truck and saying he was going to jump off..So it sounds like he really didn`t turn his life around..UH UH UH WHAT ?? WHAT ?? # 1 AGAIN

Friday 18 December

By Average White Boy

This young thug was getting paid more than you because he could run like the wind. He learned it from outrunning the cops after his multiple crimes.

Tuesday 22 December

By Blessed

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Out of respect for his family this is not the time for negative conversations. Chris was not a thug and his speed on the field had nothing to do with running from the cops. He had talent and human as we all are of which ever one sins. At the end of the day all that needs to be said is someone lost a son and children lost a father and the NFL lost a talented player. Respect the death of Chris Henry. If you can't say nothing nice don't respond at all.

Saturday 19 December

By Britney young

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first off u didn't have to say thug man...Why is it when a person die dumb crackaz gotta say sumthing bad man....Dude get a life!!!!!!!!!!

15 live 4eva bby =(

By kescha

Whatever in the hell that was going on. It don't make any since for you to be talking like this after it has been a tragedy and this man has lost his life, and he has family members reading this. Nobody doesn't deserve to die like that just because of his past. I hope that his fiancee didn't hurt him either or that would be very messed up. Also I'll like to say to the family members that I will have you in my prays and keep your head up because he would want yall to go on with your lives and be happy. MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday 23 December

By MRS.JESSICA

STUPID PEOPLE CAN CHANGE U DONT KNOW WHAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH IF THEY LEAVE THESE OLD MONEY HUNGRY WHITE GIRLS ALONE THEY FWILL BE A WHOLE LOT BETTER THEY JUST WANT THEM FOR THEIR MONEY.

By Messa

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

I'm sorry, I know he's dead and it's very sad, but I can't help thinking he looks like he's in the final stages of a sex change operation. He looked like a woman.

By chris

u r an Idiot

Sunday 20 December

By beblessed

This is really a sad time when a person losses their life and all we can think about is something negative. God loves us all. I am praying for the family. HOPEFULLY some of you haters can do the same.

Friday 25 December

By MRS.J

U LOOK LIKE A DAM GORILLA GO EAT A BANANA YOUI MUST WANTED HIM THATS WHY U WERE THINKING ABT HIM YOU PERVERT.

By meanjean

Too bad it wasn't Vick. Whats to investigate? Sounds like she was trying to get away from a violent situation, and he wanted to pursue it, therefore causing his own injury. It's not her fault.

By jl in St. Louis, MO

Just another white boy hating on a brother! Why do brothers cause so much insecurity among "white boys." Chris being paid had absolutely nothing to do with his being black. Chris got paid more than you and me because of his athletic ability and the fact that our society seems to value talents such as his more than teachers, nurses, social workers, policemen, firemen, cooks, cashiers, sanitation workers, etc.etc. So don't make a race issue out of it. It is clearly a cultural value issue.

The young man is dead. Now it's time for the fiancee to move on after she tries to grab all the money this young warrior made in his extremely short career. She took her lumps and her humps so now it's time for her to get paid. She looks young so she can probably get some other young stud to take care of her and the children. Just get out of the way if you see her driving a pickup truck because she drives like a maniac.

By FERDINAND

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Condolences to the Henry Family and to His Fiancee. May the Lord continue to Shine His Grace and Love upon both families.

Lets Go Bengals!!

By Tamra

This is a very sad & tragic thing that has happened. Surely his fiancee did not think he would fall to his death. Young adults do sometimes argue and do silly things but she probably did not intentionally kill the father of her 3 children to whom she was about to marry soon. And to those who ask why now, I ask the same thing and all we ever know is why not now because as a Christian, perhaps God took him hom earlier than his family would have liked but because he was doing well and let's hope he had received salvation before he passed away.

Saturday 26 December

THTS de TRUTH only GOD knows Our hearts and nobody knows but him and the GOOD LORD wht he was going through nomatter wht when Your flower is pulled You must have Your soul ready so PRAYFULLY HE WAS READY. MY SYMPATHY GOES TO THE FAMILY KEEP TRUSTING IN GOD HE IS RIGHT THERE AND ALWAYS BEEN THERE, HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, MANY MANY BLESSINGS AND WHAT EVA YOU DO TAKE CARE OF THOSE PRECIOUS ANGELS OF HIS. WITH LOVE

By Valerie

Prayers are with Chris Henry's kids, No one knows what truly happened Thurday morning. But his kids are suffering the biggest lost here. He was way to young to go, he was really working to clean up his life. Sad situation

By Getti

My prayers with the family, 26 years old so sad; people on the forum are just so cruel, weren't they taught if you have nothing nice to say about someone SAY NOTHING; people are so cruel!!!

By David

The only talent you posters seem to have is the ability to type, sometimes spell, and to be mean-spirited. A man is DEAD ! If this were your son, or daughter or any other relative you would be offended. Well, all of us are going to die and you little minded pricks who want to make something funny about this, I wonder how much you laugh when you get the phone call or knock on your door telling you your mom, dad, sister, brother, or child is dead. You are pathetic trash.

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