In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in Decatur, Georgia, a dispute in the parking lot of a Valero gas station on Candler Road took a fatal turn, ending the life of 65-year-old Ronald Tyrone Hodge. The incident, which occurred just after 4:15 a.m. on April 26, 2022, escalated quickly to gunfire, leaving Hodge deceased at the scene before authorities could arrive.
He had been shot in the face.
Remembered as a man who was always willing to help and stand up for others, Hodge's final moments were a testament to his character. According to his son, Hodge was intervening in a disagreement between a man and a woman when he was shot. A friend who worked with Hodge at the gas station recalled him laughing and having fun just before the tragic event unfolded. Hodge, a brother to eight siblings and a former Indiana University football player, had settled in Atlanta and also worked at a braid shop.
The man accused of the senseless act of violence was identified as 62-year-old Jurrell Bethel of Covington. In a significant development in the case, Bethel turned himself in to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office the day after the shooting. He has since been charged with malice murder and is being held without bond. While a motive has not been officially released, it is believed the shooting stemmed from the initial dispute in the parking lot.
