Anthony Lamar Abernathy murder of Kendra Broadway

Kendra Broadway, 17, died in the early morning hours of January 29, 1994, after being beaten inside a duplex in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

The person responsible was her boyfriend, Anthony Lamar Abernathy, who was 23 years old at the time.

According to evidence presented at trial, Abernathy spent the evening of January 28, 1994, drinking at a friend’s home in Little Rock. After noticing that $80 was missing, he became angry and suspected Broadway had taken it. Abernathy took a taxi to the duplex at 125 College Park Circle, where Broadway was staying.

When he arrived around 3:00 a.m., Abernathy confronted Broadway about the money. When she denied taking it, he beat her with his fists and kicked her while wearing steel-toe boots. A neighbor later testified she heard fighting, yelling, and continuous hitting for approximately 30 minutes, along with Abernathy repeatedly threatening to kill Broadway.

Shortly before 7:00 a.m., Abernathy called 911 from a nearby pay phone. When officers arrived, he told police, “I think I killed my girlfriend. I beat her up.” Officers found Broadway’s body inside the duplex.

Police also documented evidence that Abernathy attempted to clean up blood at the scene, including bloody rags and a mop bucket filled with bloody water.

An autopsy performed by the Arkansas State Crime Lab determined Broadway died from multiple blunt force injuries. The injuries included severe internal nasal trauma, lacerations to the forehead, hemorrhaging to the chest and abdominal wall, lacerations to the liver and kidney, intestinal bruising, and extensive defensive wounds. The medical examiner estimated she would have died within two hours of sustaining the injuries.

Abernathy was charged with first-degree murder. A jury convicted him, and he received a life sentence. He was incarcerated on March 8, 1995, and is currently housed at the Ouachita River Unit in Malvern.

He remains imprisoned under a life sentence with no scheduled release date. He had a previous conviction on drug charges. He’s now age 55 and has no disciplinary actions in prison.