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Exotic dancer pleads guilty in man's dragging death

Woman admits fatally striking and dragging Monroe man with her SUV after robbing him.

Kristina Hensley

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Staff photo by Nick Daggy Jae Cho

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Family members console Kristina Hensley after she pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and failure to stop after an accident Thursday, Feb. 17, in Butler County Common Pleas Court. Hensley faces three to 10 years in prison for fatally striking and dragging a Monroe man with her vehicle early Aug. 7 after robbing him.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Family members console Kristina Hensley after she pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and failure to stop after an accident Thursday, Feb. 17, in Butler County Common Pleas Court. Hensley faces three to 10 years in prison for fatally striking and dragging a Monroe man with her vehicle early Aug. 7 after robbing him.

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 2:35 AM Friday, February 18, 2011

HAMILTON — An exotic dancer accused of striking and dragging a customer to death with her vehicle has pleaded guilty.

Kristina Hensley, 35, of Higginsport, accepted a plea bargain Thursday before Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth, entering guilty pleas to involuntary manslaughter and failure to stop after an accident.

Her trial was scheduled to begin Tuesday on charges of murder, aggravated robbery, theft and failure to stop after an accident. She was accused of robbing and killing Jae Cho, 31, Aug. 7, and stealing from another customer a few hours earlier in Blue Ash.

Hensley told police she received a call early Aug. 7 from her employer, Naughty Bodies, to go to 367 Timrick Place in Monroe for a private show. She said she arrived about 4:20 a.m., and that once inside, Cho touched her in ways that were inappropriate, according to the police report.

Hensley told police she left immediately, and Cho followed her out of the house. She struck him with her vehicle as she fled, but told authorities she didn’t know Cho was lodged underneath her sport-utility vehicle.

However, prosecutors and police said Hensley hit Cho after robbing him. They also said she robbed another customer, Eric Nordhausen, in Blue Ash just hours before Cho’s death.

In the statement of facts read by Assistant Prosecutor Brad Burress, Hensley admitted to causing Cho’s death after attempting to steal from him.

Hensley faces three to 10 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter charge. As part of her plea agreement, the sentence to be given for the failure to stop charge — up to five years — would be served concurrent to the first charge, so the most Hensley faces during her April 7 sentencing is three to 10 years in prison.

Hensley’s mother, Pam Birch, and other family members were in court Thursday when she entered the plea. She sobbed and hugged them before she was led back to jail.

Cho’s family was consulted about the plea, but were not in attendance.

Defense attorney Jeremy Evans and Burress declined comment until after sentencing.

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