'You stabbed me you son of a b****': Florida man faces life in prison after knifing friend to death during 'row over Trump'
A Florida man who stabbed his friend to death during a row over Donald Trump is facing life in prison after being convicted of murder.
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Donald Jamesbrown Henry, 38, has been found guilty of second-degree murder after killing Shawn Popp during an argument over whether President Trump’s business ventures had failed in the past.
Under Florida law, Henry must serve at least 16 years and nine months behind bars, without parole, but could face life.
Popp was smoking marijuana at a friend’s house in Arcadia on 22 October 2022 when he and Henry began arguing.
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At the time, Trump was not in office, but the personal divisions his first term created were still present across the United States.
At one point, Popp claimed, “Trump is going bankrupt”, investigators wrote in a court filing, according to Reuters.
Henry responded by saying he “strongly believed that Donald Trump did not go bankrupt but instead … chose the wrong individuals to do business with, which caused it to fail.”
Popp was correct in that a number of Trump’s businesses have indeed filed for bankruptcy.
However, it remains unclear if their row was focused on any specific business run by the US president.
As the argument escalated, Henry accused Popp of “talking to him like he was stupid”, authorities said.
Henry then stabbed Popp in his chest with a kitchen knife.
Popp stumbled outside, reportedly declared, “you stabbed me, you son of a bitch,” before falling to the ground dead.
When police arrived on the scene, Henry claimed he had acted in self-defence, telling authorities Popp’s fists were “deadly weapons” and insisting he had been attacked first.
Deputies claim Henry told them his family were high-ranking members of the military and that his survival “training” had “kicked in” when Popp attacked.
Authorities concluded Henry’s “superficial” injuries were not justification for the use of deadly force.
“This verdict is a testament to the dedication and hard work of [law enforcement] who never stopped pursuing justice,” the local sheriff’s office said in a statement.