Chief Deputy Prosecutor Steve Owen (left) and Prosecuting Attorney Keith Henderson with their Home Run Hitters Awards at NDAA’s summer conference in Santa Fe

New Home Run Hitters Named

The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) announced at its 2006 Summer Conference that New Albany, Indiana, Prosecuting Attorney Keith Henderson and his prosecution team have received a prestigious induction into NDAA’s “Home Run Hitters Club” for Henderson’s successful dual prosecution in the David Camm/Charles Boney murders. Henderson serves as the prosecuting attorney for the 52nd Judicial District of Floyd County, Indiana. Henderson’s chief deputy prosecutor, Steve Owen, was recognized by NDAA for his supporting role in the Camm case.

NDAA annually inducts a select few prosecutors into the Home Run Hitters Club, to recognize their outstanding work in trying complicated and difficult high profile cases. Last year’s inductees included Tom Sneddon, the Santa Barbara County district attorney who prosecuted the Michael Jackson case; and James Brazleton, the Stanislaus County district attorney who prosecuted Scott Peterson for the murder of his wife. Brazelton’s three lead prosecutors during this trial also received the Home Run Hitters Award.

Fayette County (Lexington, Kentucky) Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson, who serves as a vice president of NDAA, says of the award, “The National District Attorneys Association has created its Home Run Hitters Club to recognize those among us who exemplify the best attributes of a prosecutor: those who exhibit tenacity, diligence, and fairness in the search for truth and justice in the most difficult cases; who are a strong voice for law and order; who stand up for the rights of crime victims; and who promote the safety and security of the communities we represent.”

Larson is credited with the idea of the Home Run Hitters Award, for which the winner is awarded a personalized Louisville Slugger bat along with a plaque recognizing their career. This year’s award was given at the NDAA Summer Conference held in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The dual prosecution of Camm/Boney drew national attention, as both suspects were tried simultaneously in courts sitting more than 100 miles apart. Henderson’s approach was novel, insofar as he was prevented from a joint trial of the two suspects and chose to do what most prosecutors have not: try both suspects at the same time. This unusual approach, given the complexity of the cases and the fact that Camm’s original conviction had been overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court in mid-2004, nevertheless resulted in both suspects’ conviction for a grisly triple homicide involving Camm’s family. 

“This was truly a team effort,” says Henderson of his successful convictions in the two cases. “A conviction in any complex case is not the result of just one person’s strategy and work, but it is thanks to the dedication and hard work of my chief deputy prosecutor, Steve Owens, investigators and the Indiana State Police. In my years of service to the State of Indiana, I have been lucky enough to work with some of the best deputy prosecutors and police officers in the nation, and thanks to their help, I look forward to our further success defending the rights of our citizens.”

A 1983 graduate of Valparaiso University and 1989 graduate of the University of Louisville law school, the New Albany prosecutor served as an Indiana State Police officer for more than seven years before being appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court as the prosecuting attorney in Crawford County, Indiana. He was elected to his current term in 2002. Keith Henderson has trained on the topics of criminal law and police procedure for Vincennes University, the Indiana State Police Academy, the Indiana University Cadet Academy and numerous law enforcement agencies throughout Indiana. He is vice chairman of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and serves on its Ethics Committee.