Who Attacked Queena Phu? Where Are Queena Phu and Attacker Kendrick Morris Now? – On the night of April 24, 2008, the attacker of Queena Phu, a survivor of the Bloomingdale Library attack, was identified as 16-year-old Kendrick Morris. He allegedly attacked Phu late at night in front of Bloomingdale Regional Library. The following evening, Queena, then 18 years old, drove to the library to return the book she had borrowed. She was raped and severely assaulted.
When a search team arrived at the scene, they discovered her car door open, her phone on the ground, and blood. She was discovered unconscious, crippled, and blinded behind the public library by her worried family and friends. The tragedy shocked the formerly tranquil town of Brandon, Florida.
Morris was sentenced to 65 years in jail in 2011 after being found guilty of raping two women who were born ten months apart. The assault case of Queena Phu will be reviewed in Lifetime’s true-crime series ‘#TextMeWhenYouGetHome: Queena Phu‘ more than ten years later.
If you want more details about Queena and Kendrick and their current whereabouts, keep reading below.
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Who Are Kendrick Morris and Queena Phu?
Queena Phu, who lived with her family in Hillsborough County, Florida, at the time of the incident, was just eighteen years old. She was a star pupil, and the program claimed that the youngster consistently finished at the top of her class. In addition, Queena had high hopes for the future and was due to graduate from high school shortly after the tragedy. Although her friends and acquaintances thought of her as a cheerful and generous person, they were unaware of the tragedy that would soon befall the adolescent.
Queena had to return a few books at the Bloomingdale Regional Library that evening, April 24, 2008, so she made the trip. When Queena left the library, Kendrick, a sixteen-year-old boy, saw her coming and attacked her at the door. Despite Queena’s best efforts to escape her attacker’s hold, Kendrick quickly outweighed the 18-year-old due to his superior strength. She was then brutally tortured and raped before Kendrick abandoned her, lying behind the library structure.
Queena’s family members naturally became concerned when she did not come home, and since the victim’s last known destination was the Bloomingdale Library, numerous search teams headed there. When they arrived at the scene, they saw that Queena’s front door was open, and a lot of blood had pooled on the road. The victim’s cell phone lay on the ground, but she was nowhere to be found.
The search spread out in an attempt to find the missing girl. Eventually, Queena was discovered asleep, utterly paralyzed, and blind laying behind the library structure. She was immediately moved to a nearby hospital for medical attention, even though she was still breathing. In addition, the hospital noted that the attack had even rendered her unable to walk and that she had brain damage.
The authorities were able to extract a foreign DNA sample from Queena’s body, which shockingly matched a DNA sample from an unrelated rape case that took place roughly ten months earlier, even though the first inquiry proved difficult in the absence of any witnesses. In the end, Kendrick Morris was identified by the DNA evidence from both cases, and he was detained and accused of being a part of the crimes.
What Happened to Kendrick Morris and Where Is He Now?
The jury convicted Kendrick of various counts when he was initially presented in court, including kidnapping, sexual battery, aggravated battery, burglary, and armed robbery, among others. He was consequently given a total sentence of 65 years in 2011. Weirdly, Kendrick requested a reduced sentence by 2017 and was even given permission for a re-sentencing hearing. His hopes for a less severe sentence were dashed when the judge upped his sentence to four life terms. Kendrick will be qualified for a second sentencing review in 2031 while he is currently serving a sentence at the Wakulla Correctional Institution in Wakulla County, Florida.
Judge Tharpe reportedly stated, “These crimes were particularly atrocious and cruel. These crimes were not youthful indiscretions. If ever there was a case that cried out for a life sentence, this is the case.”
Queena Phu’s sister, Anna Donato, also said, “It’s not a joyous moment in any sense for us. We’re still going to have to go back home and take care of Queena forever. I want to say that it’s a victory but it seems wrong to say that. My heart breaks for him. But I believe the sentence was just. We forgive him and we have compassion for him, but that does not mean we think he should be out of prison.”
What Happened to Queena Phu and Where Is She Now?
Unfortunately, Queena now uses a wheelchair permanently and faces lifelong disabilities due to her vicious and violent assault. Even though Queena was battling for her recovery in 2020, reports stated that she still required 24-hour care because she could not walk, see, communicate, or eat. But the neighborhood she calls home has always been there for her, and her family members frequently go above and beyond to make sure she’s comfortable.
Intriguingly, Queena’s mother chose to share Queena’s story with the world in 2020 and released a biography titled “The Life She Once Knew,” which details the April 2008 attacks and even walks the audience through Kendrick Morris’ initial imprisonment and subsequent resentencing. Unfortunately, Queena’s memories of the attack are still raw to this day. She is firmly committed to battling the ghosts of her past and looking toward a better future, though, with the help of her loved ones.
