Riverside County Sheriff's Department: Murder suspect is awaiting trial on separate homicide

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The Riverside County Sheriff's Department now has suspects in the 2020 murder of a Moreno Valley man. | Riverside County Sheriff's Department/Facebook

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department provided an update to a murder that has been under investigation since it happened in June 2020. The case involves the shooting death of Moreno Valley resident Kevin Henderson, which occurred outside of his apartment.

Revealing their big break in the case on May 6, deputies identified Darnell Frederick Tate, 32, as a suspect in Henderson's murder but determined he was not alone. Then on Monday, the Central Homicide Unit's investigation revealed another suspect, Arthur Akins, 50, of Riverside. Akins recently was taken into custody by the Riverside Police Department for alleged involvement in a separate homicide.

"The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Central Homicide Unit has been working toward developing leads involving the homicide of Kevin Henderson, which occurred on June 7, 2020, in the city of Moreno Valley," Deputy Sgt. Richard Carroll of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a news release

According to the release, deputies from the Moreno Valley Station had responded to a report of a shooting, and upon arrival located a man who had been shot. Despite efforts to save his life, the deputies were unable to revive Henderson and he was pronounced dead at the scene. 

At the time, deputies were unsure who was behind the shooting; those responsible for the shooting fled prior to their arrival.

Central Homicide investigators on the case are now working to charge Akins in the Henderson murder, although he awaits trial on a separate homicide.

The department asks that anyone with information on the case call Investigator Deanne from the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777.