A New York woman has been convicted of murder and arson after setting a house on fire in an act of revenge, resulting in the death of a 5-year-old boy. The jury in Monroe County took only half an hour over two days to find Taquida Hendrix, 31, guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree arson. The tragic incident occurred in July 2024 in Rochester, leading to the death of young Malakai Stovall.
The verdict brought some relief to the boy’s mother, Brianna Akers. She expressed her feelings to local media, stating that hearing the guilty verdict did provide some solace. Hendrix, however, showed no emotion when the verdict was announced.
Hendrix’s younger sister, Tiakayla Hendrix, 21, testified against her during the trial. She had accepted a plea deal for her involvement in the crime, which included accompanying her sister to the victim’s house. A third individual, Roy Chambers, was also involved in the incident. The trio was seeking revenge for an alleged attack on their father earlier that day.
The group mistakenly believed that the person involved in the attack on their father resided at Malakai’s home. Assistant District Attorney Kevin Sunderland confirmed during the trial that Taquida Hendrix was the one who set the fire. She had poured the flammable liquid that ignited the victim’s home.
The fire broke out around 2 a.m. on July 28 after Hendrix doused the two-story house with gasoline and set it on fire. Tiakayla Hendrix and Chambers were on the lookout while the fire was set. Malakai, who was sleeping on the second floor, was severely injured and succumbed to his injuries days later in a local hospital.
Both Tiakayla Hendrix and Chambers were charged with murder and arson. However, they accepted plea deals last month on the arson charge in exchange for their testimony against Taquida Hendrix. Tiakayla Hendrix was accused of buying the lighter used to start the fire, but she did not participate in setting it. Her lawyer stated that she was unaware of the child’s presence in the house at the time of the incident.
The plea deals shocked the victim’s family, who expected all three individuals to face trial. Malakai’s grandmother, Karen Mitchell, expressed her mixed feelings to local media, emphasizing that Malakai was not just a victim, but a little boy who loved life.