David Hendricks

David Hendricks was born in Chicago on August 5, 1954. He was raised a fundamental Christian, attended Northwestern University’s Prosthetics-Orthotics Program, married and fathered three children, did missionary work in Bolivia, started a P&O practice and a company to manufacture a spinal brace he had patented.

David was 29 when tragedy struck. In November 1983 David returned from a business trip to discover a police cordon around his home. From that moment, he was the sole police suspect in the slayings of his wife and three children. He was convicted and sentenced to four natural life terms. Natural life means no parole. Ever.

In prison he met Henry Hillenbrand, a convicted murderer serving a 390-year sentence. Henry was a non-stop storyteller—not the kind of jabber-mouth that makes you want to hang yourself—but a likeable guy with tales to tell and the talent to tell them. David suggested they had time to write a book and they arranged to share a cell for that purpose.

Seven years would pass before the Illinois courts determined David was not guilty and he was freed in early 1991. He moved to Florida and started yet another orthopedic manufacturing company. In December of 2009, that business was acquired, leaving David the time to write Tom Henry: Confession of a Killer.

David now lives in Orlando with his wife and two children, where he is involved in orthopedics and investing and has hopes of writing again.