Tragedy on Long Island: Mother Kerri Bedrick Indicted for Murder of Son in Horrific Wrong-Way Crash

Published 3 days ago3 minute read
Pelumi Ilesanmi
Pelumi Ilesanmi
Tragedy on Long Island: Mother Kerri Bedrick Indicted for Murder of Son in Horrific Wrong-Way Crash

A Long Island mother accused ofdriving while impaired in a 2024 wrong-way crashthat killed her son 9-year-old son on the Southern State Parkway has been found not competent to stand trial, the Suffolk County DA's office confirmed Tuesday.

Kerri Bedrick, of Centerport,faced murder charges after allegedly driving 100 mph the wrong way on the Southern State Parkway with her son Eli Henrys in the back seat.

On Tuesday, a judge ordered 34-year-old Bedrick to stay in a New York mental health facility until doctors decide she’s fit to face court.

Facing a 21-count indictment, including charges of second-degree depraved indifference murder, manslaughter, and aggravated vehicular homicide.

Bedrick stayed calm as she told the judge, “I understand, but I don’t agree with it.”

Bedrick’s lawyers are trying different ways to fight the charges and reduce her responsibility.

Source: Google

One main argument is that she suffers from “battered woman syndrome” because she was abused by Eli’s father, Dean Henrys.

In 2019, Henrys allegedly strangled her until she passed out, leaving lasting injuries that may have affected her mental state.

Henrys was later convicted of strangulation and endangering a child and sentenced to two years in prison.

Bedrick’s lawyers want the murder charges dropped, saying she may not have intended to kill due to past abuse and trauma, including strangulation.

They also argue that she acted under extreme stress and that some evidence, like a warrantless car search and statements to police, shouldn’t count because she was too shaken to make clear decisions.

Prosecutors say her blood tested positive for methamphetamine, but her lawyers insist it was a tiny, prescribed dose for narcolepsy and didn’t impair her.

Prosecutors also claim she admitted taking meth the night before.

Source: Google

They described her driving as dangerous: going the wrong way for miles, speeding up to 100 mph, weaving past eight cars, causing a multicar crash that ripped the doors off a Honda Civic, and hitting a Mercedes SUV head-on.

Bedrick told police she went out with Eli for food but, after being awake for days, pulled over to sleep.

She later woke up confused, saying cars were honking because she was driving too slowly.

She claimed her left leg got stiff, keeping her foot on the gas, and she didn’t realize she was going the wrong way.

Tragically, Eli, in the back of his mother’s 2022 Mitsubishi SUV, died from his injuries at South Shore University Hospital.

Since 2018, CPS has investigated Bedrickat least seven times over claims of drug use, neglect, and abuse of her son, Eli, but all were dismissed.

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Eli reportedly told workers his mom was hearing voices and that “bad things” were happening at home.

Bedrick also has eight open cases since 2023 for driving without a license, and in 2012, she tried to evade police during a DWI arrest.

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