A Backyard Celebration Turned Into A Nightmare | Kentucky & Indiana Cases

In today’s episode of Southern Girl Crime Stories, we cover 1 solved and 1 unsolved true crime case from Kentucky and Indiana. From Ashley Henning, a decorated Army soldier killed inside her own home on her 37th birthday, to Hayden Manis, a little boy who vanished for nearly five years before anyone outside his immediate household realized he was missing… these cases are heartbreaking, disturbing, and filled with unanswered questions. 🔎 Featured Cases: 🕵 Ashley Henning — Rineyville, Kentucky On June 26, 2023, Sergeant First Class Ashley Henning was celebrating her 37th birthday at her home in Rineyville, Kentucky. What began as a backyard birthday party with friends, music, and children playing outside turned deadly after the guests left. Ashley and her husband, Jordan Henning, began arguing while cleaning up the yard, and the fight quickly escalated. Their daughter ran to a neighbor for help, and two neighbors tried to intervene. Moments later, Jordan retrieved a gun and opened fire on Ashley as she pleaded with him to put the weapon down. Jordan was charged with murder, but in March 2025, a jury convicted him of the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter. He was later sentenced to 20 years in prison. Ashley was posthumously promoted to Master Sergeant and laid to rest with full military honors. 🕵 Hayden Manis — Muncie, Indiana Hayden Ian Lee Manis was last confirmed seen on August 30, 2020, at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana. At the time, he was just 5 years old and living with his father, Dustin Manis, and Dustin’s girlfriend, Crystal Hall. For years, Hayden’s relatives were given different stories about where he was. Some were told he had moved away, others were told DCS had returned him to his biological mother, but none of it was true. In September 2024, a chance encounter between Hayden’s paternal and maternal great-grandmothers exposed the conflicting stories, and Hayden’s family contacted authorities. Investigators soon learned there was no