Kevin Park, 32, of Kenai was sentenced on Dec. 4 to serve 66 years in prison for the 2022 murder of Stephanie Henson. The sentence follows Park entering a guilty plea for first-degree murder in July 2025 as part of a plea deal arranged between the Kenai District Attorney’s Office and Park’s public defender.
Kenai Superior Court Judge Lance Joanis sentenced Park to 99 years with 33 suspended, for a total of 66 years to be served in prison at Wildwood Correctional Facility, and 10 years’ probation to be served after his sentence.
The Alaska Department of Law wrote in a Nov. 22, 2022 press release that Park was being charged with four felony counts, including one count of murder in the first degree, two counts of murder in the second degree and one count of failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer. All of the charges except first-degree murder were dismissed as part of the plea deal during the hearing on Dec. 4.
Kenai Police Department Investigations Sergeant Ryan Coleman said the “sheer cruelty” of Park’s actions still stands out to him today. He was promoted to the role of Investigations Sergeant less than three weeks before Henson’s murder, and it was the first homicide case he investigated in his new position.
“You know, they were acquaintances and friends, and then an altercation led to him executing her in the street,” Coleman said. “What really stands out in my mind all these years later is that the incident was captured by audio and video through the surveillance camera, and that is going to be forever burned into my mind.”
Coleman and other KPD officers responded to reports of gunshots in the area of California Avenue and 1st Street around 4 a.m. on Nov. 17, 2022. A second caller reported seeing someone get shot in the street before witnessing the shooter trying to load the victim into an old Chevy truck.
A responding officer saw a vehicle matching the second caller’s description driving away from the area. Park fled the scene when the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop. After several miles, Park stopped the vehicle, and charging documents say officers noticed blood on his clothing. He was arrested on charges of murder in the first degree, tampering with physical evidence and failing to stop at the direction of a peace officer.
The probable cause statement says Park, who smelled strongly of alcohol, admitted to using meth that evening. He went on to say he and Henson were friends, and he shot her after the two got into an argument and physical altercation. He said he planned to transport her to a hospital when he attempted to load her into his truck.
“Obviously, any time drugs and alcohol are at play in an incident, it changes the way people make decisions,” Coleman said.
Due to Henson’s vulnerability and the deliberate cruelty Park displayed, the court added an aggravation factor to the charges. Park is not allowed to have any contact with Henson’s family, and he must complete substance abuse treatment.
“A life was taken, so it’s hard to put a number of what that would be worth to the family, because you never can replace that,” Coleman said. “But 66 years — based on what I’ve seen throughout the criminal justice system — I think is a good sentence.”
Coleman thanked the community for making quick reports to the police, saying the police department was able to act efficiently and preserve evidence that may have been lost without such a prompt response.
“Without that, the case could have went on a lot longer, and created an enhanced danger to the community,” he said. “That quick response is what gets these things resolved and allows us to keep the community safe.”
