The man who gained infamy in Asheville for the brutal stabbing death of a pet dog in Weaver Park has himself become the victim of fatal violence.
James Wesley Henry, 46, was shot and killed at about 1 a.m. on July 26 in Morganton, according to police and court records. Henry, who was from the city about 60 miles east of Asheville, pleaded guilty to the horrific June 2023 stabbing of Beignet, an 11-year-old mixed breed dog whom Henry killed while her owner played pickleball.
Henry’s life was plagued by homelessness, mental illness, a drinking problem and frequent arrests, Asheville Watchdog documented in a July 2023 article. He was well known to Asheville Police for his volatile behavior as far back as 2010.
The Morganton Police Department issued a press release July 26 about the shooting death, noting that “officers heard multiple gunshots coming from the area of West Union Street and Hillside Lane.”…