Suspect in ‘Tinder Slaying’ enters Alford plea

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - One of the three people accused of using dating app Tinder to lure a man to a house in North Charleston and rob him has entered a plea.

Zora Henderson and two others were facing multiple charges including murder when the robbery went wrong, and the victim was killed.

Henderson entered an Alford plea in court on Wednesday, which means she isn’t accepting guilt but acknowledges that the state has enough evidence to get a conviction if the case were to go to trial.

Henderson is one of three people accused of using the dating app to lure 24-year-old Alan Johnson III to a North Charleston apartment on Jan. 9, 2022, and rob him. State lawyers say Henderson wasn’t the room, but had been texting her alleged accomplices, Joshua Mack, and Asherai Gadsden. The pair were 28 and 21 years old respectively at the time of the murder.

In those texts Henderson is accused of encouraging the robbery. Court documents say Johnson was shot multiple times after he resisted and later died. All three were charged with murder. Johnson’s family says this is a good first step toward justice.

“I am just happy the process is moving forward. I just want everyone to be as positive as possible and keep God in their hearts and hopefully justice will be served,” said Johnson’s brother Justin outside the courthouse.

The charges Henderson pleaded to relate to the armed robbery. By cooperating with the state, prosecutors have agreed to drop the murder charge.

Henderson will be sentenced at a later date.

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