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The upcoming episode of Death Knocks Twice is all set to cover the brutal double murder of Richard Hodges and his mother, Mildred Hodges - a case that sent shockwaves through the otherwise peaceful town of Jefferson City, Missouri. Dating back to 1988, the case initially took law enforcement by surprise as the two bodies were found in completely different locations after being suffocated to death.
Thankfully, a latent hint in the crime scene eventually led the authorities to identify the culprits and charge them with first-degree murder. Bert Hunter and Tomas Ervin allegedly committed the crime intending to rob the house.
After several failed plans to make quick money, the duo broke into the Hodges household and murdered them before looting the house. Both of them were sentenced to death, with Bert being the first inmate to be handed a death sentence without a jury trial in Missouri.
Read on for more details about Richard and Mildred Hodges' murder.
What happened to Richard Hodges and his mother, Mildred Hodges?
Richard Hodges, 45, and his mother, Mildred Hodges, 75, lived in Jefferson City, Missouri, and ran a brilliant real estate business together. Richard was an only child and was very close to his mother. They operated their business from home. Nothing was seemingly wrong with the duo.
Things first became suspicious when Mildred Hodges was supposed to appear for a meeting on December 15, 1988, but she never turned up. The authorities checked on the house from the outside, and things seemed fine. On December 19, 1988, some railroad workers stumbled on the dead body of Richard Hodges in Marion, Missouri. Further investigation revealed that he died from suffocation. His body was also wrapped in plastic.
Upon this discovery, the police entered the Hodges' house and found Mildred Hodges in a similar state. Both of them were suffocated to death. The authorities soon discovered that the family car and other house items were missing. In January 1989, the police found the car in Paducah, Kentucky.
Bert and Tomas allegedly broke into Richard and Mildred Hodges' house pretending to be delivery persons, and demanded money. When Richard said they did not have anything, the duo went on to kill them.
According to sources, a notepad inside the house had crucial information that led the authorities to Tomas Ervin, a Jefferson City local. He denied any involvement. Further investigation led the authorities to Bert. He was already sentenced to prison once for murder and was serving time for violating parole when the authorities reached him.
He confessed rather easily. In his 1989 trial, Bert pleaded guilty to the crime and asked the judge to give him the death penalty. He was clinically depressed at the time and wanted a way out. He said:
"There is no justice...It’s time for this nightmare to be over, as far as I’m concerned."
Bert had claimed that Tomas was not involved, but the authorities still charged him with two counts of first-degree murder. Tomas was also given a death sentence and was executed about a year after Bert.
Death Knocks Twice will cover the murders of Mildred and Richard Hodges in detail when it airs on October 14, 2022.
