TEXAS
TEXAS MOTHER -- SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS30 YEARS AFTER HER SON VANISHED.
TEXAS HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST
RATES OF UNSOLVED CASES, FROM
1980 TO 2008, ACCORDING TO
PROJECT COLDCASE DOT ORG THIS
MONTH, 12NEWS IS WORKING ON A
SPECIAL SERIES HIGHLIGHTING COLD
CASES THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST
TEXAS.
OUR JACQUE MASSE JOINS US IN
STUDIO..TO TELL US ABOUT A COLD
CASE IN PINEHURST JACQUE?
EULAN "RAY" HODGKINSON WAS 31
YEARS OLD WHEN HIS MOTHER SAW
HIM FOR THE LAST TIME.
PINEHURST POLICE BELIEVE HE WAS
MURDERED BUT HIS BODY WAS NEVER
FOUND.
45-50 136-142
"THERE IS NEVER A DAY YOU DON'T
THINK ABOUT IT" WHEN DOYLE
HODGKINSON LOOKS AT THIS
CROSS.SHE IS REMINDED OF HER TWO
SONS. RAY AND STEVE. THE
MEMORIAL SITS OUTSIDE HER HOME
IN PINEHURST SURROUNDED BY
FLOWERS AND ANGEL LIGHTS "EVERY
TIME WHEN I GO OUT I SEE MY
BOYS.AND ANGELS ARE TAKING CARE
OF THEM TOO" --BUT DOYLE.NEVER
HAD THE CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE TO
RAY.OR EVEN BURY HIM. HER
YOUNGER SON STEVE.PASSED AWAY
FROM HEALTH COMPLICATIONS IN
2004.
2004.
ARTICLES.ABOUT THE WORST DAY OF HER LIFE. THE DAY HER SON WENT MISSING. "THE SEARCH CREWS WENT
OUT LOOKING FOR HIM.THE JAYCEES"
ACCORDING TO CASE FILES. ON
SEPTEMBER 11TH..RAY WAS WELDING
OUTSIDE.WHEN A PIECE OF
EQUIPMENT BROKE AT THE TIME..HE
WAS LIVING AT HOME WITH HIS
MOTHER.AND TOLD HER HE WAS
STOPPING BY HIS BOSS'S HOME THEN
GETTING DINNER. "IT WAS
NORMAL.THINGS LIKE THAT WERE
NORMAL.WHEN HE DIDN'T COME BACK
AT 10 I KNEW SOMETHING BAD WAS
WRONG"
A FEW DAYS LATER DOYLE AND HER
HUSBAND FILED THIS REPORT. "HE
NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS AND IF
HE GONE TO NIGHT CLUBS OR BEER
JOINTS OR SOMETHING I COULD SEE
THAT BUT HE WASN'T THAT TYPE OF
PERSON" DOYLE SAYS HER SON .
KEPT TO HIMSELF. HE SPENT TIME
WITH A FEW CLOSE FRIENDS AND
HIS GIRLFRIEND... "HE WAS NOT
IITO DRUGS.HE WOULDN'T EVEN
SMOKE A CIGARETTE HE WOULDN'T
EVEN DRINK A BEER HE WAS SO
OPPOSED TO IT"
10 DAYS LATER..HIS TRUCK WAS
FOUND IN A WOODED AREA OFF
HIGHWAY 1130 LEAVING
INVESTIGATORS WITH MORE
QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS.
THE CHIEF AT THE TIME.DON
HARTSFIELD TOLD REPORTERS A GUN
WAS MISSING FROM THE CAR.ALONG
WITH HIS KEYS AND OTHER ITEMS.
INVESTIGATORS BELIEVED THE CAR
WAS PARKED AWAY FROM THE CRIME
SCENE AS A DIVERSION. "FOUL PLAY
IS SUSPECTED.HIS LIFESTYLE AND
HABITS AT THE TIME MAY HAVE PUT
HIM IN DANGER"
PINEHURST CHIEF FRED
HANAUER.WAS NOT WORKING FOR THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THAT TIME.
BUT WHEN HE BECAME CHIEF IN
2009 HE VOWED TO SOLVE THE CASE.
HE SAYS RAY DIDN'T HANG OUT
WITH THE BEST CROWD.SOME OF HIS
FRIENDS HAD A PAST CRIMINAL
HISTORY. "
IN THIS REPORT.A BODY WAS FOUND
A QUARTER OF A MILE FROM RAY'S
TRUCK..BUT IT WASN'T HIM.
DESPERATE FOR ANSWERS.DOYLE
EVEN CONTACTED A PSYCHIC.TO HELP
INVESTIGATORS WITH THE SEARCH.
THE PSYCHIC.TOLD OFFICERS SHE
BELIVEED A MAN DROVE RAY TO AN
AREA THEN SHOT OR HIT HIM IN THE
HEAD.THEN BURIED HIM WITH HEAVY
EQUIPMENT. DURING THE SEARCH SHE
BROUGHT POLICE TO A
LANDFILL.NEAR FM 1130 BUT HIS
BODY WASN'T FOUND. "I FLOWN HER
IN HERE BECAUSE I THOUGHT IF THE
FBI USED HER THEN SHE MUST BE
PRETTY GOOD" INVESTIGATORS
QUESTIONED A FEW SUSPECTS.BUT NO ONE WAS EVER ARRESTED. IT SEEME
QUESTIONED A FEW SUSPECTS.BUT NO ONE WAS EVER ARRESTED. IT SEEME. LEAVING DOYLE WITH LITTLE HOPE
FOR ANSWERS "I WOULD LET THE
LORD TAKE CARE OF ITTTHERS
NOTHING I COULD SAY..THE LORD
WORRS IN MYSTERIOUS WAAS"
AFTER A WHILE.THE BUZZ
SURROUNDING THE CASE FADED.SOME
BRIEF HOPE SURFACED IN 2007
WHEN A TIP LED POLICE TO THE
SABINE RIVER BRIDGE. WHERE
INVESTIGATORS WERE TOLD THAT RAY
WAS PUT IN A BARRELL THEN THROWN
INTO THE WATER. "JUST BECAUSE WE
DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING FROM A TIP
DOESN'T MEAN IT WASN'T TRUE" THE
LATEST TIP IS FROM 2015BUT
STILL NOTHING
STILL NOTHING CHIEF HANAUER.BELIEVES
CHIEF HANAUER.BELIEVES
HE
HE CAN
HE CAN STILL SOLVE THIS CASE. HE SAYS WHILE MANY OF THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS HAVE BEEN REACHED
ON SOME LESSER CHAAGES - LIKE
DISPOSING A BODY - A MURDER
CHARGE COULD STILL STAND. EXCEPT
FOR THE MURDER CHARGE. "I
BELIEVE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT
THERE THAT KNOW THINGS ABOUT
THIS CASE. AND ARE WORRIED ABOUT
LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS IF THEY COME
FORWARD"
AS DOYE LOOKS AT OLD PICTURES OF
HER SON.WHO TODAY WOULD BE
61-YEARS-OLD SHE KNOWS ITS
UNLIKELY THAT HE IS STILL ALIVE.
SHE LIVES IN THE SAME HOUSE.SHE
SHARED WITH HIM.THE NIGHT HE
WENT MISSING. "AS LONG AS HE
WAS MISSING I'D NEVER MOVE" HER
ONE HOPEIS THAT SHE CAN BURY
HIMNEXT TO HIS BROTHERAND THE
REST OF HER FAMILY AT THE
EVERGREEN CEMETERY "THERE IS
NEVER SUCH A THING AS HAVING
CLOSURE.I WANT OT KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED TO MY SON BUT IF I
FOUND OUT I WOULDN'T FORGET HIM
IT WOULDN'T BE A CLOSURE ON HIS
LIFE"
ERIKA
LIFE" ERIKA WHAT ARE INVESTIGATORS