“I know that my brother is innocent.”

The sister of a man accused of a terrible crime maintains his innocence.

Henry Dinkins, 50, faces charges of murder and kidnapping in the death of 10-year-old Breasia Terrell in 2020. Days before his trial is set to begin in Cedar Rapids, his sister, Neda McQuay, spoke exclusively to Local 4 News.

“I don’t believe my brother would commit such a crime like that. I feel that only God knows … and the other parties that were there,” she said.

McQuay speaks with her brother, who is incarcerated, about five days per week. Meanwhile, she and the rest of her family have struggled for about three years, ever since the day in July 2020 when Breasia disappeared.

“I have my good days and bad days,” she said. “As long as I can talk to my brother and talk to my family, I’m just fine. It has been hard.”

She says her faith has helped her get through the bad days.

“I believe in God,” she said. “I believe in faith. I also believe in what’s right.”

Meanwhile, she misses her brother, her only sibling.

“Me and my brother always have been close. We did everything together,” she said. “Henry’s always been an awesome brother – always been there for me. I’ve always been there for him. We’re like two peas in a pod.”

The case is so familiar to Scott County residents that a change of venue for the trial was made to Linn County. McQuay asks people not to judge Dinkins until all the facts are in: “Don’t judge until faces are proven. No one’s guilty until proven.”

“Henry is not this monster that they portrayed him to be,” she said. “We all make mistakes in our life, and we all have good done good, bad and ugly.”

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