Following a May 10 murder, the Gainesville Police Department arrested 43-year-old Henri Hart on Tuesday in connection with the death.
The investigation began when police responded to a call about a stabbing. When officers arrived, they found a man unconscious on the ground with two stab wounds to his upper chest.
Police took the man to UF Health Shands Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Nearly 10 days later, Gainesville police arrested Hart in connection with the case.
Hart was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
According to the arrest report, detectives identified Hart through surveillance video and witness interviews.
One witness reported seeing Hart approach and punch the victim before pulling an object from his pocket and making stabbing motions. According to the arrest report, the witness described him as wearing a striped orange, yellow and white collared shirt.
Over a week after the murder, Gainesville police received an anonymous tip on Monday identifying the suspected attacker as a man with the alias “Hitman” who lives at the Oak Park apartments.
According to the arrest report, surveillance video from Oak Park showed Hart in a striped orange, yellow and white collared shirt speaking with the victim and a second witness.
The footage led police to a second witness, who reported seeing Hart cleaning a bloody knife. According to the arrest report, Hart told the witness to throw away a bag of what the witness said they believed was his clothing from the night of the murder.
When officers arrested Hart Tuesday night, he described a bitter relationship with the victim and told police the two don’t get along. According to the arrest report, Hart also claimed the victim had threatened him, saying, “I will kill you” and “I will eat you.”
Hart told police the victim pulled a knife on him after the two began fighting. According to the arrest report, Hart claimed the victim stabbed himself when Hart fell on top of him. Investigators noted Hart’s story conflicted with the victim’s stab wounds.
Hart has been detained by GPD and is awaiting trial. In Florida, first-degree murder can result in a sentence of death or life in prison.
Contact Julianna Bendeck at jbendeck@alligator.org
Julianna Bendeck is a first-year journalism student and the Summer 2026 criminal justice reporter. She previously worked as a contributing writer and race and equity reporter at The Alligator. Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading, surfing the web and playing video games.
