KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — In a significant ruling, the Dallas Court of Appeals has upheld the 60-year prison sentence of Zacchaaeus Ja’Juan Henderson, who was convicted in the ambush-style murder of 22-year-old Desmond Smith in 2021.
The Crime
On the early morning of September 8, 2021, Desmond Smith was tragically lured from his home through Instagram messages. Investigators later determined that the account used to contact him was part of a setup orchestrated by members of a rival street gang.
Surveillance footage captured the chilling moment when three individuals exited a vehicle and opened fire on Smith, striking him a staggering 26 times. He died at the scene. Authorities linked the attack to an ongoing feud between two small gangs: Brothers to the End (BTE) and Married to the Money (MTM), the latter of which Smith was affiliated with. Prosecutors indicated that the murder was executed by BTE members seeking retribution.
Investigative Breakthroughs
Following Smith’s untimely death, his brother accessed his Instagram account and uncovered direct messages that arranged the fatal meeting. Investigators traced the logins to the account through IP addresses and phone records, revealing that one of the logins originated from Henderson’s phone just minutes before the murder.
Moreover, cell phone data indicated that Henderson’s device traveled with the other suspects before and after the shooting, including a stop at Parkland Hospital, where one of the shooters sought treatment for a gunshot wound to the foot. Detectives confirmed that a shoe left at the crime scene matched DNA from that injured suspect.
A co-defendant, Isaiah Johnson, ultimately confessed and provided testimony against Henderson, detailing that he, Henderson, and a third accomplice, James Dipple, conspired to ambush Smith. Johnson identified Henderson as the individual who wielded a Glock handgun during the attack.
The Appeal Process
In the appeal, Henderson’s legal team argued for the overturning of his conviction on several grounds, including:
Insufficient corroboration of Johnson’s testimony
Improper seizure of his cell phone without a warrant
Questionable admission of social media posts and video evidence
Reliance on potentially misleading digital evidence by prosecutors
However, the Fifth District Court of Appeals disagreed with these claims. The court ruled that police had legitimate reasons to seize Henderson’s phone without a warrant due to concerns that critical evidence could be deleted. Once a warrant was obtained, the subsequent search of the phone was deemed valid. Additionally, the judges concluded that there was substantial corroborating evidence beyond Johnson’s testimony, including cell phone records, location data, and inconsistencies in Henderson’s own statements to investigators.
Final Ruling
On September 23, 2025, the appeals court affirmed Henderson’s conviction and 60-year sentence, stating that the evidence “amply supports” the jury’s verdict. As a result, Henderson will continue to serve his sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
