Henry Eugene Hodges

Serial Killer

Henry Eugene Hodges: Crimes, Victims, and Convictions

Background

Henry Eugene Hodges was born on August 16, 1966, in Florida. He later lived in Tennessee and supported himself through temporary employment, construction work, printing work, and sex work. By the late 1980s, he was known in parts of Nashville's gay community, where he frequently approached men in bars, parks, and other meeting places. Hodges became a suspect in a series of murders committed between 1988 and 1990. His victims were adult men, several of whom were gay or bisexual. Investigators believed that he gained access to victims by presenting himself as a companion or sex worker. Once alone with them, he would restrain, rob, and kill them. Hodges reportedly confessed to as many as seven or eight murders, but prosecutors obtained convictions for only three: the murders of Barry McDonald, Ronald Allen Bassett, and Michael A. Whisnant.

Known and Suspected Victims

• Vernon Lester Larkin believed killed around September 4, 1988; found September 7, 1988 442 Knolls Place, Nashville, Tennessee. Larkin, 30, was discovered on the living-room floor of his apartment after his mother became concerned because she had not been able to contact him. He had been bound and gagged. His automobile was stolen and was later recovered in the Atlanta area. Hodges was investigated as a possible suspect, but he was never convicted of Larkin's murder.
• Barry McDonald believed killed July 9, 1989; found July 12, 1989 2003 Upland Drive, Inglewood, Nashville, Tennessee. McDonald, a 34-year-old nurse originally from Canada, was found by his roommate after the roommate returned from a trip. McDonald had suffered numerous stab wounds, mainly to his neck and back. Property had been taken from the house. A witness reported seeing a slender, light-haired man through a window, and fingerprints recovered from the residence were later connected to Hodges. Hodges eventually pleaded guilty to McDonald's murder.
• Roland Edward Van Dyck September 18, 1989; found September 20, 1989 Nashville, Tennessee. Van Dyck, 42, was found inside his silver Chevrolet Cavalier after a patrol officer noticed the parked vehicle during the early morning. He had been fatally shot. Some early accounts incorrectly treated September 20, the date his body was discovered, as his death date. Records identify September 18 as his date of death. Hodges was considered a possible suspect but was not prosecuted for the killing.
• Robert S. Sibert October 22, 1989 Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Sibert was a biology professor at Volunteer State Community College. He was found shot to death, and his credit cards were reportedly used in Nashville on the day his body was discovered. Police investigated the theft of his property while searching for the killer. Hodges was later mentioned as a possible suspect, but no conviction linked him to Sibert's death.
• Ronald Allen Bassett May 14, 1990 Nashville, Tennessee. Bassett, 37, was a telephone repairman. Hodges and his 15-year-old girlfriend, Trina Brown, had decided to rob someone so they could obtain money for a move to Florida. Hodges met Bassett in a Nashville park and accompanied him to Bassett's home. Bassett was restrained with handcuffs and tape while the house was searched. Jewelry, electronic equipment, a firearm, identification, and other possessions were taken. After discussing whether to leave Bassett alive, Hodges strangled him with a nylon cord. Hodges and Brown attempted to clean the house, used Bassett's bank card to withdraw money, and fled in his automobile. Hodges was convicted of first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery and received a death sentence for the murder.
• Michael A. Whisnant May 16, 1990 Atlanta, Georgia. Whisnant, 32, was a quality-control engineer from North Carolina. He met Hodges at an Atlanta gay bar and went with him to a hotel room. A disagreement reportedly developed over payment. Hodges handcuffed Whisnant and strangled him with a curtain cord. Whisnant's body was concealed beneath a bed and was discovered later by hotel personnel. Hodges pleaded guilty to the murder and received a life sentence in Georgia.

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Confirmed Victims: (3)

Barry McDonald Age: (35), Date of Death: September 7, 1989

Suspected Victims:

Vernon L. Larkins Age: (30), Date of Death: September 7, 1988

Roland E. Van Dyck Age: (42), Date of Death: September 20, 1989

State releases video Henry Hodges' attorneys describe as 'torture'