Howard Hood

Howard Hood was a devoted family man and a respected retiree, known for his quiet and kind nature. A 63-year-old White man, he had worked for 42 years at the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, before retiring. He and his wife of 41 years, Margaret, built a life together in the community, raising three daughters and enjoying their six grandchildren. They lived in a home they had built on Northcrest Drive in New Franklin, a small city in Summit County just south of Akron. The couple was deeply involved in their family's life and were described as loving and dedicated parents and grandparents who wouldn't have harmed anyone.

The night of Friday, May 31, 1991, began joyfully for the Hoods. They had spent the evening at one of their daughter's homes for a card party, a regular family get-together. They returned to their own home around 11:30 p.m. What happened in the next hour remains a brutal mystery. An unknown assailant or assailants entered the house and attacked the couple. Howard and Margaret were found deceased in their home the following day, June 1, 1991, by one of their daughters who had come to check on them. Both had been stabbed multiple times and their throats had been cut. There were no signs of forced entry, suggesting the killer may have been known to the couple or entered through an unlocked door.

The initial investigation was handled by the New Franklin Police Department, with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Detectives found a bloody palm print at the scene that did not match Howard or Margaret, nor was it in any law enforcement databases at the time. The murder weapon was never recovered. The crime stunned the quiet, typically safe community. Investigators explored various theories, but the motive remained unclear, as robbery did not appear to be the primary goal, though Margaret's purse was missing.

Over the years, the investigation continued, but no arrests were ever made. Police questioned numerous individuals, including a man who was living with one of the Hoods' daughters and had reportedly been questioned in connection with two other murders, though no evidence ever linked him to any of the crimes. The case eventually went cold, leaving a lingering sense of pain and unanswered questions for the Hood family and the community. The brutality of the murders was particularly shocking, and the lack of a clear motive made the crime difficult to solve.

The double homicide of Howard and Margaret Hood is now listed as an unsolved case with the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Decades have passed, but investigators and the family have not given up hope for a resolution. Advances in DNA technology and forensic science offer the possibility that evidence from the scene, like the unidentified palm print, could one day lead to a breakthrough. The family has spoken of their enduring grief and their desperate need for closure and justice for their beloved parents.

The case remains open, and the New Franklin Police Department continues to seek information from the public. They urge anyone with any knowledge of the events leading up to or following the murders of Howard and Margaret Hood, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. The community remembers the tragic loss of a quiet, loving couple in their own home, and the hope persists that the person or people responsible will finally be held accountable for the crime.