Woman giving ‘down-and-out’ couple a place to stay realizes they’re wanted for brutally murdering mom in senior living center, police say
A Maryland woman and her girlfriend are facing first-degree murder charges after authorities accused them of killing the woman’s elderly mother inside a senior living community and then fleeing across state lines. Their alleged escape came to an abrupt end in Ohio when a Good Samaritan who had taken them into her home discovered they were wanted by police and alerted authorities.
Elderly Woman Found Dead During Welfare Check
Police Respond to Senior Living Community
The investigation began on May 26, when officers from the Montgomery County Police Department were called to the Charter House senior living center in the 1300 block of Fenwick Lane in Silver Spring, Maryland. Police were conducting a welfare check on a resident after concerns were raised about her well-being.
When officers arrived, they discovered 67-year-old Hilde Henderson dead inside the facility. The Charter House is an affordable senior community for residents aged 55 and older located in the heart of Silver Spring.
Autopsy Reveals Homicide
An autopsy later determined that Henderson died from blunt force trauma. Medical examiners ruled the manner of death a homicide. Investigators believe the victim had been dead for approximately four days before she was discovered, placing the estimated date of death around May 22.
The nature of the injuries and the homicide ruling immediately launched a major criminal investigation by Montgomery County detectives.
Daughter and Girlfriend Identified as Suspects
Detectives Focus on Family Members
As investigators worked to piece together what happened, they identified Henderson’s daughter, 29-year-old Vanessa Tjongarero-Henderson, and her girlfriend, 36-year-old Samantha Raebel, as suspects in the killing.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific evidence that led detectives to focus on the two women. However, police ultimately obtained first-degree murder charges against both suspects and began searching for them.
Public Asked to Help Locate Pair
After the charges were filed, law enforcement agencies sought assistance from the public in locating the women, who had apparently left Maryland following Henderson’s death. Police circulated information and photographs as part of their effort to track them down.
Hundreds of Miles Away, a Stranger Offered Them Help
Couple Appeared Homeless in Ohio
Several days after the homicide investigation intensified, the two women surfaced approximately 450 miles away in Genoa, Ohio, a small village in the northwestern part of the state. There, they encountered a local woman named Adrienne Behrman.
According to Behrman, the pair told her they were homeless and struggling. Feeling compassion for their situation, she decided to help them.
Good Samaritan Opens Her Home
Behrman later explained that she empathized with people facing hardship because she had experienced homelessness and financial struggles herself.
She reportedly allowed the women to stay in her apartment and even contacted her church in an effort to secure additional assistance for them. Her actions were motivated by a desire to help people she believed were simply down on their luck.
Suspicion Begins to Grow
Their Stories Did Not Add Up
Despite her initial willingness to help, Behrman eventually began noticing inconsistencies in the women’s stories.
As she asked more detailed questions about where they had come from and where they intended to go, she felt that some of their answers did not make sense. The inconsistencies caused her to become increasingly uneasy about the pair staying in her home.
Friend Voices a Chilling Concern
Behrman discussed her concerns with a friend, Nikki Peters.
According to Peters, she had an immediate uneasy feeling about the women. She reportedly joked that they could be murderers, a comment inspired by her interest in true-crime stories. While others laughed off the suggestion, Peters continued paying attention to details that seemed unusual.
Discovery Through a Cash App Clue
Suspicious Name Raises Questions
The breakthrough came when Peters reportedly noticed a Cash App request for cigarettes.
The account involved in the transaction did not match one of the names the women had provided. Curious about the discrepancy, Peters searched the name online.
Online Search Reveals Murder Investigation
The internet search quickly led Peters to information from law enforcement agencies seeking two women wanted in connection with a homicide investigation in Maryland.
She reportedly said she was shocked by what she found and realized that the women staying with Behrman appeared to be the same suspects authorities were searching for in the death of Hilde Henderson.
911 Call Leads to Arrests
Authorities Confirm Identities
After learning about the murder case, Behrman contacted emergency dispatchers and called 911. Authorities confirmed that the women were indeed wanted by police in Maryland.
Law enforcement officers subsequently moved in and arrested both Tjongarero-Henderson and Raebel in Ohio.
Suspects Await Extradition
Following their arrests, the two women were booked into the Ottawa County Detention Center in Ohio.
As of the latest reports, they remain in custody while awaiting extradition back to Maryland, where they will face first-degree murder charges related to the death of Hilde Henderson.
Authorities Have Not Revealed a Motive
Questions Remain Unanswered
While investigators have publicly identified the suspects and detailed the timeline that led to their arrests, authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killing. They also have not released information about what evidence specifically connects the two women to Henderson’s death.
The investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors prepare to pursue the case in Maryland. Detectives continue working to determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal attack that left a 67-year-old woman dead in her senior living residence and ultimately led to the capture of two suspects hundreds of miles away.
