Naman Shrestha
In the first episode of Fox’s ‘America’s Most Wanted’ season 3, the mysterious murder case of 48-year-old Tinikia Hodges is studied in detail as the investigators attempt to get to the bottom of the truth. The tragic news of her untimely death sent shockwaves across the entire community, while her family and friends were left heartbroken. Despite the lack of evidence, the detectives narrow down their leads to a possible suspect, who had an encounter with the authorities right before the killing.
Tinikia Hodges Was Found Dead Inside Her Conover Residence by Her Mother
On September 30, 1973, in Catawba County, North Carolina, the late Edward Shuford and Diane McDaniel Bender gave birth to their first daughter, Tinikia Danyale McDaniel, who filled their lives with nothing but joy. Surrounded by the company of her parents and siblings, including Diaunte James, Terrence Shuford, Kewaun Shuford, Natasha Lott, and Kim James, Tinikia grew into a thoughtful, sociable, and hardworking woman. A member of McQueen Chapel United Methodist Church in the city of Conover, she was employed at Flowers Bakeries in Newton. She was married to a long-haul trucker named Donald Ray Hodges, but they did not have any children together.
In 2022, she had reportedly been making summer vacation plans with her mother. Unfortunately, before summer arrived, fate intervened and cut Tinikia’s life short out of the blue. When the 48-year-old woman failed to show up at her workplace on the morning of May 5, 2022, her mother was alerted. Concerned about her well-being, Diane rushed to her daughter’s home in the 700 block of 2nd Street Southwest in Conover, only to find her dead in bed. Upon the arrival of the authorities, she was pronounced dead at the scene, with the cause of death being a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Almost immediately, the perimeter was taped, and a homicide investigation was launched. The detectives inspected the crime scene and collected every possible piece of evidence they found.
Police Started Zeroing in on Tinikia Hodges’ Potential Killer
In the initial phase of the investigation, the authorities could not find any leads due to a lack of evidence. This caused a huge amount of frustration for Tinikia’s mother, who believed that she had been killed by someone connected to her son-in-law, Donald Ray Hodges. Also known as Tyrone Evans and Unique Hodges, the trucker reportedly has strong ties to Georgia, Eastern North Carolina, New York, and Pennsylvania. Amidst all the suspicion surrounding him, the police dug deeper into his life and activities around the time of the murder. It turned out that the authorities had come across Donald at a Charlotte hotel, just a few hours before Tinikia’s murder.
Not only was he reportedly vandalizing the lobby of the hotel, but he also appeared to be under the influence of hallucinogenic narcotics. Thus, the suspect was admitted to a local hospital for treatment. However, he later exited the hospital without receiving any treatment. Moreover, his lengthy rap sheet included assault, robbery, and weapons charges. In light of the circumstantial evidence against him, the police obtained an arrest warrant for him on May 10, 2022, charging him with first-degree murder. Ever since then, he has been wanted by the Conover Police Department in connection with his possible involvement in the murder of Tinikia Hodges.
Tinikia Hodges’ Alleged Killer Remains on the Run
Given his connections to different states, the authorities announced that he could be hiding in those areas with his acquaintances. As Donald appears to be actively evading law enforcement, the police have announced a reward of $10,000 for anyone who brings information that leads to his capture. In January 2024, it was believed that the fugitive, who is known to befriend people and use them to obtain money from them to stay on the run, had been connecting with men and women through dating apps in order to move in with them, before moving on to the next person.
A US Marshal for the Western District of North Carolina requested the public to stay on the lookout for the potentially armed and dangerous suspect. He stated, “I urge any citizen who knows anything about Mr. Hodge’s location to please take a second and make that information known to us or any local law enforcement officer or agency. Please help bring some closure to the murdered victim’s family and loved ones by bringing this wanted fugitive closer to justice.” In late January 2024, some developments were made in the case as Donald was seemingly seen in Kinston, North Carolina.
The Kinston Police Department reportedly announced, “Over the last week members of the USMS received tips that he has been living in the Kinston area near the 18 building of Simon Bright. We have conducted interviews with known associates and this is the information that was obtained. He frequents the Lunch Box and has been seen near the 700 block of Thompson St. (almost daily).” Unfortunately, no developments have been made since then as the fugitive continues to evade the police.
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