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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Aaron Hodge · Hell and Gone: Murder Line

0:46
Speaker 1: School of Humans. Helen Got Murder Line actively investigates cold
0:52
Speaker 1: case murders in an effort to raise public awareness invite
0:55
Speaker 1: witnesses to come forward and present evidence that could potentially
0:58
Speaker 1: be further investigated by law enforcement. While we value insights
1:03
Speaker 1: from family and community members, their statements should not be
1:06
Speaker 1: considered evidence and point to the challenges of verifying facts
1:10
Speaker 1: inherent in cold cases. We remind listeners that everyone has
1:14
Speaker 1: presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
1:17
Speaker 1: Nothing in the podcast is intended to state or imply
1:21
Speaker 1: that anyone who has not been convicted of a crime
1:24
Speaker 1: is guilty of any wrongdoing. Thanks for listening.
1:29
Speaker 2: In October of nineteen ninety five, something strange was going
1:33
Speaker 2: on inside the Flick home at three h two McNabb
1:36
Speaker 2: Street in Rector, Arkansas. The family was made up of
1:41
Speaker 2: thirty six year old David Flick, his wife, four year
1:44
Speaker 2: old Barbara, their daughter, eleven year old Andrea Flick, and
1:47
Speaker 2: Barbara's son from a previous relationship, seventeen year old Aaron
1:52
Speaker 2: Michael Hodge. Aaron was never officially adopted by David Flick,
1:57
Speaker 2: but at the time he used his last name, so
2:00
Speaker 2: he went by Aaron flick. Barbara was a nurse, her husband,
2:04
Speaker 2: David had a transmission shop. Friends and family said that
2:08
Speaker 2: they were a happy couple. Andrea played basketball and did
2:13
Speaker 2: beauty pageants. Aaron was well liked by his friends as well.
2:17
Speaker 2: Both Andrea and Aaron were popular at school. Aarin would
2:21
Speaker 2: later say. Andrea, Barbara, and David were planning on going
2:24
Speaker 2: to Florida to visit relatives, leaving seventeen year old Aaron
2:28
Speaker 2: at home, and, like many teens at home alone, Aaron
2:32
Speaker 2: decided to throw a party. This seems perfectly normal, except
2:37
Speaker 2: that David, Barbara, and Andrea never arrived in Florida. Their
2:42
Speaker 2: relatives were concerned, and after a week a friend of
2:45
Speaker 2: Barbara's called the police. She said the family never showed
2:49
Speaker 2: up at their relative's house and that no one had
2:52
Speaker 2: seen them in several days.
2:54
Speaker 3: So police did some checking.
2:56
Speaker 2: They found that no one in Florida had seen David,
2:59
Speaker 2: Barbara or Andrea, nor had anyone in Rector, Arkansas. But
3:03
Speaker 2: there was one member of the family who had been
3:06
Speaker 2: spotted around town, Aaron Hodge.
3:09
Speaker 3: People had seen.
3:10
Speaker 2: Aaron driving his stepfather's pickup truck around Paragold. That weekend
3:15
Speaker 2: was a big weekend to be out and about in
3:17
Speaker 2: that area. It was homecoming weekend, which is a big
3:21
Speaker 2: deal everywhere and especially in small towns. Everyone was at
3:25
Speaker 2: the Friday night football game. On October thirteenth, nineteen ninety five,
3:30
Speaker 2: Aaron drove to the homecoming game and parties in David's
3:33
Speaker 2: truck and was hanging out with friends there. He was
3:36
Speaker 2: picked up by police at the homecoming festivity and taken
3:40
Speaker 2: to the Paragold Police station. Paragold police officer Audrey Emberton
3:45
Speaker 2: came to the station and interviewed Aarin. Officer Emberton and
3:49
Speaker 2: another officer, Terry Prewitt, then went to the Flick family
3:53
Speaker 2: home in the early morning hours at around one am
3:56
Speaker 2: on Saturday, October fourteenth. Aaron lived in a converted garage.
4:02
Speaker 3: It was in the main.
4:03
Speaker 2: Part of the house, but it was his own kind
4:05
Speaker 2: of separate area, away from the rest of the family.
4:08
Speaker 2: When the police asked Aaron about his family, he said
4:12
Speaker 2: they were fine. He said he had heard from them
4:14
Speaker 2: a couple of days earlier and they were supposed to
4:16
Speaker 2: be back later that day, meaning later on Saturday. Police
4:20
Speaker 2: did not buy that story. At three am, Officer Prewitt
4:24
Speaker 2: went back to the home to talk to erin again.
4:27
Speaker 2: This time Officer Prewett asked if he could get access
4:30
Speaker 2: to the main part of the house where the rest
4:31
Speaker 2: of the family lived. Aaron told police that the doors
4:34
Speaker 2: were locked, so Officer Prewitt looked around. He looked in
4:38
Speaker 2: a window of the main house and saw some sheets
4:40
Speaker 2: on the floor. When he asked Aaron about the sheets,
4:44
Speaker 2: Aaron said the family had been doing some remodeling. Later
4:48
Speaker 2: that morning, Aaron was at the police station answering questions,
4:52
Speaker 2: and police went back to the Flick house. Officer Prewitt
4:56
Speaker 2: got closer to the front door and he smelled something horrible.
4:59
Speaker 2: The stench of decomposition was so overpowering that police later
5:05
Speaker 2: noted they could smell it when they were one hundred
5:07
Speaker 2: and fifty feet away from the house. Officer Prewitt entered
5:11
Speaker 2: the home, the smell got worse as he went further in.
5:16
Speaker 2: He found David, Andrea, and Barbara all dead, and forensic
5:21
Speaker 2: testing later showed they had been dead for about a week.
5:26
Speaker 2: This episode is going to be a little bit different
5:29
Speaker 2: from other cases we cover because this case isn't open.
5:32
Speaker 3: It's already been solved.
5:34
Speaker 2: But I thought that it was important to cover because
5:36
Speaker 2: this is a very divisive case. There is a man
5:40
Speaker 2: in prison for these murders, someone who claims that he
5:43
Speaker 2: was wrongfully convicted. So was there a misunderstanding, could someone
5:49
Speaker 2: else have been involved? Or is the right person behind
5:53
Speaker 2: bars for killing this family in cold blood? On the surface,
5:58
Speaker 2: this appeared to be a perfect family, but detectives quickly
6:01
Speaker 2: discovered things behind closed doors were far from what they seemed.
6:07
Speaker 2: What happened to turn this seemingly perfect family into a
6:11
Speaker 2: house of horrors?
6:13
Speaker 3: I'm Catherine Townsend.
6:14
Speaker 2: Over the past five years of making my true crime podcast,
6:17
Speaker 2: Helling Gone, I've learned that there's no such thing as
6:21
Speaker 2: a small town where murder never happens. I've received hundreds
6:25
Speaker 2: of messages from people all around the country asking for
6:28
Speaker 2: help with an unsolved murder that's affected them, their families,
6:31
Speaker 2: and their communities.
6:33
Speaker 3: If you have a.
6:34
Speaker 2: Case you'd like me and my team to look into,
6:36
Speaker 2: you can reach out to us at our Hell and
6:38
Speaker 2: Gone Murder Line at six seven eight seven four four six'
6:42
Speaker 2: one four five at six seven eight seven four four
6:46
Speaker 2: six one four, five or you can send us a
6:49
Speaker 2: message On instagram At Helen. Gonepod this Is Helen Gone Murder.
6:56
Speaker 2: Line police In. Arkansas we're interviewing seventeen year Old Aaron
7:41
Speaker 2: hodge about a possible involvement the triple homicide of his entire.
7:45
Speaker 2: Family aaron was. Crying he said he had no idea what. Happened,
7:51
Speaker 2: meanwhile police were processing the crime. Scene inside the, house
7:55
Speaker 2: the doorway To andrea's room was. Locked police busted it
8:00
Speaker 2: down and found her lying in her. Bed andrea had
8:03
Speaker 2: been shot in the. Head her torso was on the
8:06
Speaker 2: bed and her feet were dangling off. It she was
8:09
Speaker 2: wearing only her underwear and had been covered up with her.
8:12
Speaker 2: Comforter andrea's white shorts AND t shirt were on the
8:16
Speaker 2: floor near the. Bed her head was leaning against a
8:19
Speaker 2: wall and her arm was up in what may have
8:21
Speaker 2: been a defensive. Position detectives said they felt like she
8:25
Speaker 2: had struggled with her, killer and that her killer had
8:28
Speaker 2: used a pillow to muffle the noise from the. Gun
8:32
Speaker 2: aaron lived in a converted bedroom right off the. Garage
8:35
Speaker 2: his room was neat with no trace of. Blood police
8:40
Speaker 2: did fine shells from a thirty eight caliber weapon In aaron's.
8:43
Speaker 2: Room they later said that the murder weapon had been
8:46
Speaker 2: a thirty eight caliber gun like the one owned By David.
8:49
Speaker 2: Flick police followed the trail of blood down the hall
8:53
Speaker 2: To barber's. Bedroom they found her lying on her bed
8:56
Speaker 2: in her, nightgown with layers of bedding covering her. Body
9:00
Speaker 2: because she was wearing her nightgown and because of the
9:03
Speaker 2: position of her, body they felt That barbara had been
9:07
Speaker 2: sleeping when she was. Attacked they Found david's body there,
9:10
Speaker 2: too face, down at the foot Of barbara's water. Bed
9:14
Speaker 2: he was wearing blue pants and a WHITE t. Shirt
9:18
Speaker 2: police noted they found no signs of a struggle in this.
9:21
Speaker 2: Bedroom police thought That david had not been shot and
9:26
Speaker 2: killed In barbara's, bedroom but that he had been dragged
9:29
Speaker 2: there from the living.
9:29
Speaker 3: Room there were pulls of.
9:32
Speaker 2: Blood on the living room sofa and a blood trail
9:35
Speaker 2: down the hallway of the house that had been covered
9:37
Speaker 2: up with. Pillows officers believed the killer had used the
9:41
Speaker 2: pillows to muffle the sound of the, gun but there
9:45
Speaker 2: was a lot that police didn't know because the bodies Of,
9:48
Speaker 2: David andrea And barbara were too decomposed to know exactly
9:52
Speaker 2: what happened to them or how long they had been.
9:55
Speaker 2: There all three victims were bloated and covered in large
9:59
Speaker 2: blisters that were filled with. Fluid all of them had
10:02
Speaker 2: been shot in the head at close. Range barbara And
10:06
Speaker 2: andrea had each been shot. Once david had been shot three.
10:10
Speaker 2: Times SO i want to back up and look at
10:14
Speaker 2: how long the police had been asking questions about the
10:17
Speaker 2: family and how Long aaron had been stalling with giving
10:21
Speaker 2: them any. Information On october, fourteenth after Officers pruitt And
10:26
Speaker 2: imbriden talked To aaron at three am and he said
10:29
Speaker 2: his family was, fine police went To David flick's transmission
10:32
Speaker 2: shop to see if they could find any. Clues police
10:35
Speaker 2: Asked david's employee if he had noticed. Anything he said
10:39
Speaker 2: that a toolbox Of david's had been broken, into there
10:42
Speaker 2: was some, money and a gun that belonged To david.
10:44
Speaker 2: Missing police suspected that something was, wrong so by now
10:49
Speaker 2: the police Had aaron in. Custody when they got to
10:52
Speaker 2: the interview, Room Officer, leach the officer who was Interrogating,
10:56
Speaker 2: aaron Asked aarin to tell him what he. Knew aaron
11:01
Speaker 2: said that his family were in the, home and Then
11:04
Speaker 2: Officer leach asked what condition they were in if they were.
11:07
Speaker 2: Okay aaron, said they're. Dead so Then aaron told his
11:13
Speaker 2: version of the. Story, first he said he wasn't sure
11:16
Speaker 2: what happened to his. Family, later he completely denied having
11:20
Speaker 2: anything to do with their. Deaths he basically said that
11:23
Speaker 2: he had gotten into a big fight With david and
11:26
Speaker 2: That david had killed his. Family one week After David,
11:38
Speaker 2: Flick Barbara, flick And Andrea flick were supposed to arrive In,
11:41
Speaker 2: florida police were Interviewing aaron at the deaths of his family,
11:45
Speaker 2: members But erin claimed that he didn't kill his. Family
11:48
Speaker 2: he said that his, Stepfather David, flick had Killed andrea
11:52
Speaker 2: And barbara in a fit of rage and then turned
11:55
Speaker 2: the gun on. Himself but it was obvious that someone
11:59
Speaker 2: had covered up the bodies in the. Home there were, sheets, blankets,
12:04
Speaker 2: pillows and rugs spread out all over the living, room
12:08
Speaker 2: So aaron's version of the story on the, surface seemed
12:12
Speaker 2: to make zero. Sense If david had killed his wife
12:16
Speaker 2: and daughter and then shot, himself how could he have
12:19
Speaker 2: shot himself three.
12:20
Speaker 3: Times in the.
12:21
Speaker 2: Head this would mean That aaron had found the bodies
12:25
Speaker 2: and then moved. Them after finding the, bodies police Reinterviewed
12:31
Speaker 2: Arin Arin now said That david had been cheating On
12:34
Speaker 2: barbara and that they had been sleeping. Separately aaron claimed
12:38
Speaker 2: that he told his mother about the infidelity and that
12:41
Speaker 2: she had made a plan to Leave. David aaron claimed
12:45
Speaker 2: That andrea And barbara were planning on going To florida
12:48
Speaker 2: without him And. David he said that He, aaron was
12:51
Speaker 2: supposed to go To florida to meet them. Later aaron
12:54
Speaker 2: said he was supposed to stay with his grandmother until
12:56
Speaker 2: he made the trip To. Florida then he was going
12:59
Speaker 2: to be reunited with his mother and. Sister aarin admitted
13:03
Speaker 2: that he did break Into david's. Store he stole his
13:06
Speaker 2: stepfather's gun in, cash but he said he did that
13:10
Speaker 2: Because david owed him. Money aaron said he and a
13:14
Speaker 2: friend of his Named David gun had broken in To david's.
13:18
Speaker 2: Shop after that he went. Home he had the gun
13:22
Speaker 2: and the money with. Him he wanted to Avoid, david
13:25
Speaker 2: so he said he went to his bedroom and locked the.
13:27
Speaker 2: Door while in the, bedroom he claimed he was counting
13:30
Speaker 2: the money and messing around with the, gun putting bullets
13:33
Speaker 2: in it and pulling them. Out he Said david came
13:36
Speaker 2: into his room and found him with the gun and the.
13:39
Speaker 2: Money he said that he and his stepfather got into an.
13:41
Speaker 2: Argument at some, point the argument spilled out into the living.
13:45
Speaker 2: Room aaron said he Told david That barbara hated him
13:50
Speaker 2: and that they were going to leave. Him aaron said
13:53
Speaker 2: he told his stepfather he wished that he was. Dead,
13:57
Speaker 2: Then aaron claimed that his stepfather was trying to Get
14:00
Speaker 2: aaron to fight. Him aaron said he refused to do
14:03
Speaker 2: that and he left the. House aaron claimed that when
14:07
Speaker 2: he came back to the, house he heard something a,
14:09
Speaker 2: gurgling snoring kind of noise coming From. David david was
14:14
Speaker 2: on the. Couch he noticed there was blood pouring off
14:18
Speaker 2: of the. Couch he claimed That david was already. Dead
14:22
Speaker 2: aaron said that he was horrified to find his mother
14:25
Speaker 2: and sister dead as. Well he said he believed That
14:28
Speaker 2: david had killed both of them and then turned the
14:30
Speaker 2: gun on. Himself aaron said that when he realized What
14:35
Speaker 2: david had, done he shot his stepfather's body two more
14:39
Speaker 2: times because he was so angry at. Him police Asked
14:43
Speaker 2: daron why he hadn't called the authorities to report that
14:46
Speaker 2: his parents and sister were. Dead he, said, basically he was.
14:50
Speaker 2: Scared he said that he was afraid that police would
14:53
Speaker 2: blame him for the, killings so he just shut the
14:57
Speaker 2: door to the. House he went out to his own
14:59
Speaker 2: separate area and left them, there and then he threw
15:03
Speaker 2: a party in his part of the, house one that
15:07
Speaker 2: didn't end for several.
15:08
Speaker 3: Days could this be?
15:10
Speaker 2: Possible Could aaron have found the bodies, and in some
15:13
Speaker 2: kind of disassociated state of, shock just Moved david into
15:17
Speaker 2: the bedroom and then stayed away gone out with his.
15:20
Speaker 2: Friends after the, interview detectives had to figure out If
15:25
Speaker 2: aaron's version of events was even.
15:26
Speaker 3: Possible was this just.
15:28
Speaker 2: A terrified teen who was disassociated from reality after abuse
15:32
Speaker 2: at home or a cold blooded. Killer in the days
15:36
Speaker 2: between his family's deaths and police discovering the, Bodies aaron lived.
15:41
Speaker 2: Large he drove David it's black nineteen eighty NINE gmc
15:45
Speaker 2: pickup truck around. Town he spent the money that he
15:48
Speaker 2: had stolen from the. Shop he also Used david's credit.
15:52
Speaker 2: Cards witnesses told police That aaron spent money on clothes AT. J. C,
15:56
Speaker 2: penny on gas and other, items and That aaron was
16:00
Speaker 2: Signing david's name for these. Purchases one Of aaron's friends
16:05
Speaker 2: told police he saw receipts for big amounts six hundred
16:09
Speaker 2: to seven hundred, dollars and when friends and family members
16:13
Speaker 2: would Ask arin where his parents, were he told everyone
16:16
Speaker 2: that they were on vacation In. Florida after police Told
16:20
Speaker 2: aaron they found the, bodies he insisted That david had murdered.
16:24
Speaker 2: Them police talked To david And barbara's. Friends many of
16:28
Speaker 2: them Said david And barbara had a lot of problems With,
16:32
Speaker 2: aaron and one friend Of barbara's confessed something even more.
16:35
Speaker 2: Suspicious she said Both barbara And david had been afraid Of.
16:40
Speaker 2: Erin they said That aaron had issues at, school that
16:44
Speaker 2: he had recently been suspended for a day for making
16:46
Speaker 2: an obscene gesture while the class picture was being, taken.
16:49
Speaker 3: But things were more serious than just school.
16:52
Speaker 2: PRANKS a friend Of david's who worked with him at
16:54
Speaker 2: the transmission shop told police That david had Bought aaron
16:58
Speaker 2: A mustang for his sixteenth, birthday but that one condition
17:02
Speaker 2: of buying the car was That aaron had to maintain good,
17:05
Speaker 2: grades But aarin, Didn't his grades slipped and the car
17:09
Speaker 2: was taken. Away Then arin got stopped at THE asu.
17:13
Speaker 2: Campus he gave his name As Aaron flick and apparently
17:17
Speaker 2: used a fake social security.
17:19
Speaker 4: Number.
17:20
Speaker 2: Anne david also confided in his friend That arin had
17:24
Speaker 2: choked his Sister andrea because she wouldn't give him. Money
17:29
Speaker 2: david told his friend that he was ready to Leave
17:32
Speaker 2: barbara because he couldn't Discipline aaron the way he wanted,
17:35
Speaker 2: to but he said he wouldn't leave because of his.
17:39
Speaker 3: Love for his.
17:40
Speaker 2: Daughter so tensions were rising inside that. House but what
17:45
Speaker 2: could have happened that led to the triple. Homicide friends
17:50
Speaker 2: Of aaron said that he drank and took. Drugs his,
17:53
Speaker 2: grandmother the grandmother he said he was supposed to stay,
17:56
Speaker 2: with was the only one WHO i can find in
17:59
Speaker 2: police interviews who actually had some nice things to say About.
18:02
Speaker 2: Aaron she apparently described him as being a mild mannered.
18:06
Speaker 2: Person in, fact things had gotten so bad Between aaron
18:10
Speaker 2: and his parents they were planning on sending him to
18:13
Speaker 2: a juvenile facility The Arkansas Baptist Boys ranch In, harrison
18:18
Speaker 2: and the relationship Between aaron and his, Stepfather david was particularly.
18:22
Speaker 2: Tumultuous police talked To aaron's, Friend David. Gunn this friend
18:28
Speaker 2: later testified That aaron asked him if he would drive
18:32
Speaker 2: erin to his stepfather's transmission shop at eleven pm On,
18:35
Speaker 2: Sunday october, eighth nineteen ninety. Five when they got, There
18:39
Speaker 2: aaron tried his keys in the, door but the keys didn't,
18:41
Speaker 2: work So david said that Anir aaron broke into the
18:44
Speaker 2: shop and then broke open a. Toolbox all there was
18:48
Speaker 2: in there was fifty, dollars Which aaron. Stole the friend
18:52
Speaker 2: testified this seemed to be kind of a surprise To,
18:54
Speaker 2: aaron Because aaron said he expected to find more. Money
18:57
Speaker 2: aaron's friends said That aaron also stole a pistol a
19:01
Speaker 2: holster in shells from the. Toolbox he said That aaron
19:04
Speaker 2: loaded five shells into that. Pistol after, That David gunn
19:09
Speaker 2: said that he And aaron took a ride and drove
19:10
Speaker 2: to a. Cemetery aaron got out of the car and said.
19:13
Speaker 3: He needed to.
19:14
Speaker 2: Think then he came back to the. Car they drove
19:17
Speaker 2: To aaron's. House aaron walked in carrying that stolen. Pistol
19:22
Speaker 2: the next time he Saw aaron was when he was
19:25
Speaker 2: at school the next day driving his stepfather's. Truck police
19:30
Speaker 2: were trying to establish a timeline because of the fact
19:33
Speaker 2: That aaron was driving the. Truck police believed the family
19:37
Speaker 2: were killed on the night Of october, eighth nineteen ninety,
19:39
Speaker 2: five which means they would have been lying there for
19:43
Speaker 2: five days until the thirteenth or the early morning hours
19:46
Speaker 2: of the, fourteenth when they were. Found more than one
19:50
Speaker 2: person told police it was very unusual For aaron to
19:53
Speaker 2: be driving his stepfather's. Vehicle they knew he did not
19:56
Speaker 2: normally have permission to drive that. TRUCK a lot of
20:00
Speaker 2: people told Police aaron and his stepfather did not get,
20:04
Speaker 2: along And aaron didn't just drive the truck to school
20:07
Speaker 2: that one. Day he drove his stepfather's truck for several.
20:10
Speaker 2: Days he took his friends to the, Movies he drove
20:13
Speaker 2: Around rector And paragold And jonesboro in the, truck and
20:17
Speaker 2: he threw parties at. Home police talked to a lot
20:21
Speaker 2: of teenagers who said they were drinking and smoking pot
20:24
Speaker 2: in that apartment all. Week police also talked to a
20:28
Speaker 2: young woman who testified she had sex With aaron in
20:31
Speaker 2: his bedroom off the. Garage some people at the parties
20:36
Speaker 2: said they noticed a bad smell even though the bodies
20:39
Speaker 2: were in the main part of the. House they Said
20:42
Speaker 2: aaron had excus. Uses he told them the sewer was backing.
20:45
Speaker 2: Up he told others it was cat.
20:48
Speaker 3: Litter he.
20:49
Speaker 2: Said there was work and remodeling and stuff going on
20:51
Speaker 2: in the main part of the, house so everyone just
20:53
Speaker 2: stayed away from. It it wasn't until much later that
20:57
Speaker 2: these teens realized with horror they had been partying next
21:01
Speaker 2: to three dead. Bodies his friend said during that week
21:06
Speaker 2: That aarin seemed calm and happy and, normal that he
21:09
Speaker 2: told more than one person it was the best week
21:12
Speaker 2: of his.
21:12
Speaker 3: Life he had.
21:14
Speaker 2: Plenty of money to spend on purchases and a nice
21:16
Speaker 2: truck to. Drive police found bloody clothing In david's, truck
21:21
Speaker 2: along with a pillow that appeared to have a gunshot
21:23
Speaker 2: hole in. It that was the one they believed the
21:26
Speaker 2: killer used as a. Silencer this didn't seem to make,
21:30
Speaker 2: sense because If aaron's version of the story was, true
21:34
Speaker 2: Then david would have to have killed his wife and,
21:36
Speaker 2: daughter then put that bloody pillow case into the, truck
21:41
Speaker 2: then gone, back lay down on the sofa and shot
21:44
Speaker 2: himself in the. Head this was something That aaron never
21:48
Speaker 2: really explained in his version of the. Story aaron told
21:52
Speaker 2: police he did not kill his, family but he did
21:55
Speaker 2: tell several different versions of the. Story at, first he
21:59
Speaker 2: said he had no idea what happened to. Them, later
22:02
Speaker 2: according to court, documents he said he didn't remember exactly what,
22:05
Speaker 2: happened but that he could have done. It he admitted
22:08
Speaker 2: to police he hated his. Stepfather he said he felt
22:11
Speaker 2: like he was out of. Control Was aaron being abused at?
22:16
Speaker 2: Home was this just a fight that got out of,
22:18
Speaker 2: control or was this something much more. Premeditated one friend
22:24
Speaker 2: Of barbara's Named Darlene, bolin Testified david told her specifically
22:28
Speaker 2: that he was afraid Of erin and afraid of quote
22:31
Speaker 2: what was going to. Happen aaron's, Friend David, gunn also
22:35
Speaker 2: Testified aaron had been thinking about killing his. Stepfather he
22:39
Speaker 2: said That aaron told him six months before the murders
22:42
Speaker 2: that he planned to Kill David flick by hitting him
22:45
Speaker 2: on the head with a wrench and later burying the. Body,
22:49
Speaker 2: Then aaron's friend Said aaron planned to say that his
22:52
Speaker 2: stepfather was. Missing police didn't Believe aaron's, story but there
22:58
Speaker 2: was gunshot residue On David flick's.
23:00
Speaker 3: Hands an employee of.
23:02
Speaker 2: The State Crime laboratory Testified David flick's left hand tested
23:05
Speaker 2: positive for gunshot, residue his right hand tested. Negative the
23:10
Speaker 2: problem was most of the gunshot residue was on the wrong,
23:14
Speaker 2: hand Because David flick was right.
23:16
Speaker 3: Handed when the state crime.
23:18
Speaker 2: Expert was asked about this in, court she Said david
23:22
Speaker 2: could have had that residue on his hands because he
23:24
Speaker 2: had fired a weapon, recently but it also could have
23:27
Speaker 2: been there for other. Reasons for, example it could have
23:30
Speaker 2: rubbed off On david if his body was dragged away
23:33
Speaker 2: by some person who had gunshot residue on their own.
23:36
Speaker 2: Hands police were not Buying aaron's. Story aaron was charged
23:42
Speaker 2: with triple capital murder for the killings Of, David, barbara And.
23:45
Speaker 2: Andrea at, Trial aaron's defense attorneys said his, Father David,
23:49
Speaker 2: flick was the, killer that he Killed barbara And andrea
23:52
Speaker 2: and then shot. Himself they claimed That david shot his
23:57
Speaker 2: wife and daughter using his left hand so his non
24:00
Speaker 2: dominant hand to, fire and that he used the pillowcases
24:04
Speaker 2: as homemade silencers to muffle the. Sounds aaron's lawyers set
24:09
Speaker 2: in court that he was so distraught after coming home
24:13
Speaker 2: and finding his mother and sister's bodies And david lying
24:16
Speaker 2: on the sofa already, dead that he Shot david twice
24:20
Speaker 2: more in the, head and that after trying to cover
24:24
Speaker 2: up the bodies and, blood he basically disassociated with.
24:27
Speaker 3: Reality at, trial.
24:30
Speaker 2: The state and the defense painted two very different versions
24:34
Speaker 2: of what was really going on behind closed doors inside
24:38
Speaker 2: The flick. House there was no question there were major
24:41
Speaker 2: problems in that. Home had hated his, stepfather and at
24:45
Speaker 2: least one Of barbara's close friends testified That aaron's parents
24:48
Speaker 2: were afraid of, him and there were some things that
24:52
Speaker 2: police found that would seem, to at least on the,
24:55
Speaker 2: surface back up some of the things That aaron was
24:57
Speaker 2: saying about infidelity In barbara And david's, relationship because when
25:02
Speaker 2: police searched the transmission, shop they found what was described
25:06
Speaker 2: as sex paraphernalia in. There according to police, reports there
25:11
Speaker 2: were photographs in that, shop and one of those, photographs
25:14
Speaker 2: according to court, documents seemed to back up the fact
25:17
Speaker 2: That barbara was engaged in some kind of sexual activity
25:21
Speaker 2: and that there were images of, Her but it's really
25:24
Speaker 2: not clear whether that was evidence of her having an
25:27
Speaker 2: affair with someone else or whether the pictures just Showed
25:31
Speaker 2: barbara And, honestly it's confusing because these pictures were in her,
25:38
Speaker 2: Husband david's, Toolbox so it does beg the, question if
25:42
Speaker 2: it was Showing barbara engaging in, infidelity Why david would
25:46
Speaker 2: keep those pictures in his own. Toolbox that is still
25:49
Speaker 2: a little bit of a. Mystery aaron's attorneys seemed to
25:53
Speaker 2: be making the point that those photographs could have Caused
25:56
Speaker 2: david to fly into a rage and could have led
25:58
Speaker 2: to a volatle argument on the evening Of october, eighth
26:02
Speaker 2: but those photographs were not allowed in. Court even if
26:05
Speaker 2: there was a huge fight in the, home what would
26:09
Speaker 2: Motivate aarin to kill his? Mother the prosecutors believe that
26:14
Speaker 2: it was the prospect Of david's mother siding with his
26:16
Speaker 2: stepfather and planning to Send erin away to a juvenile.
26:19
Speaker 3: Home but what about his Sister.
26:22
Speaker 2: Andrea even If aaron flew into a rage and killed his,
26:27
Speaker 2: stepfather who he admitted to people he, hated and his,
26:30
Speaker 2: mother how could he kill his eleven year old, sister
26:34
Speaker 2: who even those who didn't Like aaron admit.
26:37
Speaker 3: He seemed to truly.
26:38
Speaker 2: Love but it turned out That aaron's relationship with his
26:42
Speaker 2: Sister andrea was not straightforward As aaron may have told.
26:45
Speaker 2: People remember that friend Of, david's the one who told police,
26:50
Speaker 2: that according To, David aaron choked his sister because she
26:53
Speaker 2: wouldn't give him. Money that same friend said That david
26:58
Speaker 2: did not want erin in the house because he Said
27:01
Speaker 2: aaron had threatened to Kill andrea if she Told david
27:05
Speaker 2: About aaron hurting her or stealing her. Money things had
27:08
Speaker 2: gotten so bad that in the three to five months
27:11
Speaker 2: before the, Killings david was so worried he would not
27:16
Speaker 2: Leave andrea alone When aarin was, there And andrea was
27:20
Speaker 2: so scared of her brother that she would lock herself
27:23
Speaker 2: in her. Room the state Claimed aaron did it because
27:27
Speaker 2: he wanted to. Party they introduced evidence of his behavior
27:31
Speaker 2: during the week after the murders to speak to his
27:32
Speaker 2: state of. Mind they said he drank, smoke, pot had
27:36
Speaker 2: sex and three, parties that he spent his stepfather's money
27:40
Speaker 2: and stole his credit. Cards they claimed that he had
27:43
Speaker 2: no rem and that one Of aaron's motives in killing
27:47
Speaker 2: his victims was his desire to engage in a hedonistic,
27:51
Speaker 2: lifestyle one that presumably he could not have engaged in
27:54
Speaker 2: unless there were no adult. Witnesses Aaron hodge was found.
27:59
Speaker 2: Guilty when asked by the judge if he had anything to, Say.
28:04
Speaker 3: Aaron, Replied i'm not.
28:05
Speaker 2: Guilty at the, time The Circuit court was required to
28:09
Speaker 2: Sentence aron to the mandatory sentence life without the possibility of,
28:13
Speaker 2: parole so in nineteen ninety, Six Aaron hodge was sent
28:18
Speaker 2: to serve his time in maximum security at The East
28:21
Speaker 2: Arkansas Regional unit In, marianna where he has been for
28:24
Speaker 2: the last twenty nine. Years Aaron hodge is still in,
28:36
Speaker 2: prison but he has a, Girlfriend. Jennifer jennifer Met aaron
28:42
Speaker 2: as a. Child they reac connected much later when she
28:45
Speaker 2: was going through a divorce in her. Forties jennifer said
28:48
Speaker 2: she believes In aaron's.
28:50
Speaker 4: INNOCENCE i think we were probably about nine ten years,
28:54
Speaker 4: old and he lived right around the corner from my,
28:56
Speaker 4: grandma SO i saw him all the time with his,
28:57
Speaker 4: sister and our friends were kind of all the, same
29:00
Speaker 4: AND i mean it was just an odd, Thing LIKE
29:02
Speaker 4: i remember. SEVENTEEN i didn't talk to him from when
29:05
Speaker 4: he was seventeen until about about three and a half years. Ago,
29:09
Speaker 4: NOW i guess every year that he, went you, know
29:12
Speaker 4: he'd have to come over here To, johnsboro And i'm
29:13
Speaker 4: not even really sure for, what but he would have
29:15
Speaker 4: to come over here And i'd see him on THE
29:19
Speaker 4: ki two would slash that picture and it just break
29:22
Speaker 4: my heart because he just looks but that's not even
29:24
Speaker 4: what he looks. Like for, One i'll send you a picture,
29:26
Speaker 4: too that's not even any of the pictures you see
29:29
Speaker 4: of me looks so scary and he's. Not he does
29:31
Speaker 4: not even look like.
29:32
Speaker 3: That jennifer.
29:33
Speaker 2: Said she And aaron started writing letters to each, other
29:36
Speaker 2: which led to video, visits and then, eventually she said
29:40
Speaker 2: that he opened up about what he claimed happened during
29:43
Speaker 2: that fateful week In october in nineteen ninety.
29:46
Speaker 4: Seven she had cheated And aaron was going out in
29:49
Speaker 4: his face Because aaron had gotten them and he was
29:51
Speaker 4: a punk, kid and he'll tell you, that he, Said
29:52
Speaker 4: but that doesn't MEAN i killed my, mom you. Know
29:55
Speaker 4: and they were into. It she was into it with.
29:58
Speaker 4: Him aaron left to go to his friend's, house was
30:01
Speaker 4: gone not long at. All when he came, back he,
30:03
Speaker 4: said he walked, in he's heard something gurgling or, whatever
30:07
Speaker 4: all the exact, words but his mom and sister were
30:09
Speaker 4: dead and his stepdad had shot himself and he put
30:12
Speaker 4: three more rounds. In it might believe it's his, words
30:14
Speaker 4: but again that needs to come from. Him but it's
30:17
Speaker 4: always been the. Same it's never changed, ever not. Once
30:21
Speaker 4: eight months in is when he started opening up about.
30:23
Speaker 4: It and Then i'd had a teenager go through adolescents
30:28
Speaker 4: who we just, had you, know just buck wild and
30:31
Speaker 4: went through. Stuff and SO i think that's WHY i
30:35
Speaker 4: was put in the situation to be able to understand
30:37
Speaker 4: and hear it WHEN i, did and oh my, GOSH i,
30:40
Speaker 4: MEAN i JUST i remember when he told this story
30:42
Speaker 4: to me the first, time all the way, through my knee.
30:44
Speaker 4: BUCKLED i, mean they just boockled BECAUSE i, KNEW i
30:46
Speaker 4: knew in my heart that he was killing the.
30:48
Speaker 2: Truth in twenty, twelve there was another strange twist in
30:53
Speaker 2: this case because THE Us Supreme court decided that mandatory
30:58
Speaker 2: life without the possibility of parole sentences for miners were.
31:01
Speaker 2: Unconstitutional so that meant people under the age of eighteen
31:05
Speaker 2: who were given a sentence of life without parole could
31:09
Speaker 2: be eligible for. Resentencing this Included Aaron, hodge so this
31:14
Speaker 2: paved the way For aaron to get another sentencing, hearing
31:18
Speaker 2: which happened On december, sixth twenty twenty, two once again
31:23
Speaker 2: information was presented to a jury in Craig Head. County
31:27
Speaker 2: that jury Gave aaron a sentence of thirty, years which
31:30
Speaker 2: meant that with time, Served Aaron hodge could be free
31:34
Speaker 2: in as little as three, years which.
31:37
Speaker 3: Would be the year twenty twenty.
31:39
Speaker 2: Five he was eligible for parole before and went before
31:43
Speaker 2: the parole board in twenty twenty, three but the information
31:47
Speaker 2: THAT i could find said that the parole hearing that
31:49
Speaker 2: happened in twenty twenty three was. Deferred so as of,
31:53
Speaker 2: Today Aaron hodge is still behind, bars but he could
31:58
Speaker 2: be free very. Soon jennifer said that her family had
32:04
Speaker 2: expressed concerns about her relationship With, aaron but she says
32:08
Speaker 2: some of them now believe That aaron is a changed.
32:11
Speaker 4: MAN i was, like, look just go back down telling
32:14
Speaker 4: you and he was this completely different. Person he Found,
32:17
Speaker 4: god he you, know and everything he's saying out That he's,
32:20
Speaker 4: LIKE i just want to have a house on the
32:22
Speaker 4: end of the road with a dog and be able
32:25
Speaker 4: to see a, sunset AND i see.
32:27
Speaker 2: It aaron continues to maintain his innocence as he has
32:32
Speaker 2: for the past thirty, years and his girlfriend says she
32:35
Speaker 2: believes that he should be.
32:36
Speaker 4: Released he talks about the sunset and goes over and,
32:39
Speaker 4: over and he, said the first TIME i get out
32:41
Speaker 4: of him and take a picture of the, sunset where
32:43
Speaker 4: WERE I Whatever i'm, doing And i'm going to post
32:45
Speaker 4: it on My facebook with my, name And i'm not gonna,
32:49
Speaker 4: hide because you know, what everybody want to delve their,
32:52
Speaker 4: life and they, did and they'll answer To god for.
32:55
Speaker 4: That but this is my, turn And i'm going to
32:58
Speaker 4: be exactly Who i'm going to, be And i'm going
33:01
Speaker 4: to Thank god for it and realize how LUCKY i
33:03
Speaker 4: am every.
33:04
Speaker 2: Day of, course not everyone agreed with. This family members
33:09
Speaker 2: and people close to the victims believed the rightful killer
33:12
Speaker 2: was and is behind, bars and that releasing him will
33:16
Speaker 2: be dangerous to the. Community aaron has had several disciplinary
33:20
Speaker 2: violations while incarcerated at The East Arkansas REGIONAL. MAX a
33:24
Speaker 2: petition on change dot org that has been circulated by
33:28
Speaker 2: supporters of the victims' families claimed that the rescenencing hearing
33:32
Speaker 2: was biased Because aaron was able to, quote introduce new,
33:36
Speaker 2: evidence and spew wise and hatred on the stand all
33:39
Speaker 2: the while us the victims were told to either stick
33:42
Speaker 2: with what was said in the original try or have
33:44
Speaker 2: our victim impact statements heavily edited end quote this. Petition
33:49
Speaker 2: justice for The flicks said they believe that quote the
33:53
Speaker 2: people Of, Rector arkansas on, us the victims who were
33:56
Speaker 2: called to retestify and or to read victim's impact statements
34:00
Speaker 2: are all potentially in danger of his wrath once he is.
34:04
Speaker 3: Released end.
34:05
Speaker 2: Quote they have asked that people reading the petition contact
34:09
Speaker 2: the local government representatives to voice their opinions about the
34:12
Speaker 2: danger of Releasing. Aron so, far this petition has gotten one,
34:20
Speaker 2: thousand two hundred.
34:21
Speaker 3: And sixty seven.
34:22
Speaker 2: Signatures considering that there are only one eight hundred and
34:26
Speaker 2: twenty three people In, Rector, arkansas two hundred and sixty
34:30
Speaker 2: seven people signing a petition is a huge. Number many
34:34
Speaker 2: of the people who attended parties At aaron's house during
34:37
Speaker 2: the week That aaron was there with his family's bodies
34:41
Speaker 2: have commented on social media that they they are afraid
34:44
Speaker 2: that When aaron gets, out that he'll remember that they
34:47
Speaker 2: talk to the. Police does the fact that he continues
34:51
Speaker 2: to deny the killings mean that he has disassociated himself from, them.
34:56
Speaker 3: Or that he has no.
34:57
Speaker 2: Remorse as the clock ticks down to his, release the
35:01
Speaker 2: community continues to be. Divided I'm Katherine. Townsend this Is
35:08
Speaker 2: Helen Gone Murder. Line Helen Gone murderline is a production
35:12
Speaker 2: Of school Of humans And iHeart. Podcasts it's written and
35:15
Speaker 2: narrated by Me Catherine townsend and produced By Gabby. Watts
35:19
Speaker 2: special thanks To Amy tubbs for her research assistance and
35:23
Speaker 2: For James wheaton for legal. Review noah camer mixed and
35:26
Speaker 2: scored this. Episode our theme song is By Ben. Sale
35:30
Speaker 2: executive producers Are Virginia, Prescott Brandon, barr and. L. C.
35:34
Speaker 2: Crowley listen To Helen gone ad free by subscribing to
35:37
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Speaker 2: case you can follow the show On instagram At helen.
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