Dorothy E. Hess, 72, was one of an elderly Winder, Georgia couple found shot to death in their Southridge Road home in May 2019. Her husband, Willard Ron Hess, 70, was also killed; their teenage grandson who lived across the street discovered the bodies and alerted authorities. Investigators reported no signs of forced entry, suggesting the couple may have known their killer or were deceived into letting someone inside.

A dark-colored four-door sedan was seen in the neighborhood around the time of the killings; the area has only one entrance and exit, making that vehicle notable. Investigators later found that the Hesses identities were stolen and their personal information was sold on the dark web within days of their deaths, and their credit cards were used fraudulently. Federal agents linked the fraud to an international opioid ring investigation and indicted a man, Durrell Tyler, in a darknet purchase and fraud case involving stolen data from multiple elderly victims, including the Hesses, but authorities did not name him as a suspect in the murders.

The double homicide remains under investigation. If anyone knew the Hesses, saw a dark-colored four-door sedan in the Southridge Road area in May 2019, or has information about the identity theft tied to their deaths, please come forward.