A woman was arrested after crashing weddings and stealing gifts and cards from the guests’ purses, police have said. Sandra Lynn Henson has been arrested and is accused of crashing weddings in three states and making off with newlyweds’ money and gifts. She was captured during a ceremony in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, on Saturday.
The Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Department, leading the investigation, said that Henson has been charged with petit larceny, trespassing, and disturbing the peace. Henson’s crime wave spanned across Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama, leaving a trail of defrauded couples and baffled law enforcement agencies.
Petit larceny, defined as stealing property worth less than $1,000, was the charge levied against her in Mississippi. Details about the circumstances leading to her arrest have not been released yet. This arrest comes after a series of wedding heists that began in 2019.
Henson’s modus operandi involved infiltrating weddings, pilfering cards, money, and gifts, and making a swift exit, leaving behind a wave of despair. One of her victims, a distraught bride from Marshall County, Mississippi, recounted how Henson ruined her special day by absconding with the heartfelt tokens brought by guests.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department managed to identify Henson through surveillance footage, capturing her red-handed as she swiped items from the gift tables. Alabama authorities had also linked Henson to thefts at nine weddings in their state in 2019. The Florence Police Department had surveillance footage showing her wandering around one of the reception venues that fell victim to her crime spree.
Sandra Lynn Henson
Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi said on a Facebook post: “Miss Henson was wanted in Alabama and was arrested at a wedding in Pontotoc County. Apparently Miss Henson has been arrested in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi for crashing wedding and stealing money and cards from purses.”
A Memphis news outlet reported in 2021 that Henson was known for crashing weddings in the Mid-South region, and she had been dubbed the “Mid-South wedding crasher.”
Sandra Lynn Henson
In 2021, Henson was busted again helping herself to cards, money and gifts at a wedding in Marshall County, Mississippi. She was eventually convicted, had her probation revoked and was sentenced to five years in prison, ABC24 reported.
Her husband, Stephen Henson, had said in court: “All I can say to the families is from our family, we are very sorry for any pain you’ve experienced and I’m very deeply sorry.”