Baby-clutching husband who demanded cigarette from police before revealing location of wife’s body faces decades behind bars

Background: Police responded to the scene of Taresha Pendarvis’ (pictured right) murder on the 8800 block of Lanier Drive in Silver Spring, Maryland in February 2023. GoogleMaps./Inset: Dennis Hinnant Jr. booking photo, Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office.

A year ago, Dennis Hinnant Jr. walked into a Maryland police station clutching his child, told police he had information about something bad that happened at his house, and said he would talk — but only if he was given a cigarette.

“I know y’all not lettin’ me leave out here,” he said before making his demand, according to charging documents.

This week, a jury found Hinnant, 29, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his wife Taresha Pendarvis, 28. The Silver Spring, Maryland, man faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 18, the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office announced last Friday.

Maryland State’s Attorney John McCarthy said the maximum penalty was appropriate.

“We remain dedicated to aggressively prosecuting domestic violence in any form,” McCarthy said.

Hinnant, visibly “distraught,” walked into the Rockville City police station holding his child on Feb. 1, 2023, a statement of charges obtained by Law&Crime shows. Police said right away he began to speak to officers in the lobby and though he began to answers preliminary questions about “an incident” that had brought him in on his own volition, he wasn’t immediately placed under arrest.

But during an interview with one officer, police said Hinnant insisted that he would provide information if he had a chance to smoke a cigarette.

“Hinnant insisted he wanted to smoke a cigarette but he was advised that no one currently working had a cigarette. Hinnant stated if he was provided a cigarette, he would give a location of the incident. At this point, Hinnant was not in police custody and [was] advised he was free to leave at any time,” a statement of charges notes.

That changed in short order. Police said once Hinnant began to offer up details, they were told to go to Lanier Drive in Silver Spring and check on the welfare of the occupant inside.

There, police found the body of Pendarvis. She had been strangled with a belt and was laying in the bathtub. She had also been stabbed multiple times.

Hinnant was promptly arrested. While in custody, he told police that he and Pendarvis were married and that they had been fighting “over a potential divorce.” The argument, he said, “boiled over.”

“At some point, Pendarvis threw Hinnant’s medicine and clothing away. Hinnant then stated that it went south, and he feels like they both blacked out. Hinnant also stated that he f—– up,” the statement of charges notes.

Left: A memorial cake featuring Taresha Pendarvis. Right: Taresha with her children. Photos provided to Law&Crime by Taresha Pendarvis’ mother, Roshawnda Pendarvis.

The child was removed from Hinnant’s custody immediately, the state’s attorney’s office said, and was not harmed.

An attorney for Hinnant did not immediately respond to request for comment on Monday. He remains in detention prior to sentencing.

Pendarvis’ mother, Roshawnda Pendarivs, told Law&Crime in an email on Tuesday that as far as Hinnant and his guilty verdict are concerned, she was happy though she hoped for a conviction of first-degree murder instead.

“The jury apparently didn’t see premeditation. I did. Taresha would have fought tooth and nail for her life and for her children. He attacked her from behind disabling her and her ability to fight back. The majority of the attack was from behind. I think Mr. Hinnant is a coward and an animal of the worse type. I don’t feel that he should ever be able to walk freely again to do this to someone else and their family,” she said.

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