Detroit man charged with murder after stabbing mom multiple times

DETROIT - The man who allegedly stabbed his girlfriend to death in a Detroit apartment has been charged with first-degree murder.

Valencia Burden died after being stabbed several times in the chest by her boyfriend. Her family says she confided in them the relationship she was in had grown toxic.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced the charges after the man turned himself in a day after the incident.

Kevin L. Henry, 50, turned himself in to police shortly after law enforcement discovered the body of Valencia Burden at her residence on Rutland Street.

Detroit police were first dispatched to the westside location after family members asked for a welfare check on Burden. Her son, Tracy, told FOX 2 earlier this week that his mom was in the process of getting out of a volatile relationship with a man who she told people had created a toxic environment for her.

After the family had celebrated a birthday last Saturday, Valencia went home. But after no one heard from her Sunday, they grew worried.

That's when the police made the discovery. 

"When he got done doing, he grabbed her phone, her wallet, and her car keys. took her car," Tracy said of her Henry, Valencia's live-in boyfriend at the time.

Detroit police say Valencia was pronounced dead at the scene after being stabbed multiple times in the chest area.

Henry fled shortly after he allegedly stabbed her. He's expected to be arraigned on counts of murder and tampering with evidence in the 36th District Court today.

Tracy shared the story of his mom in hopes that others who find themselves in abusive relationships can seek help before it's too late.

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"Let people know what you are going through," he said. "There is a lot of help to try to get away. Try your hardest to get away from it. You want to be there for your children and grandchildren. She had seven grandkids."

In a release issued Thursday announcing the charges, prosecutor Kym Worthy said Valencia's murder was "our ninth alleged domestic violence homicide of 2021."

"If this continues, we will far exceed the cases from last year and they were a record high," she said. "The numbers of non-fatal domestic violence cases have also exploded. We had over 10,000 non-fatal warrant requests in 2020. These trends are truly frightening."