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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Aaron Hodge [From the Archives] · Hell and Gone: Murder Line

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