Devon Hodo

Devon Hodo was a 16-year-old student at Taunton High School who was known to local police. Just four months before his death, in February 2008, the teenager survived being shot in the leg outside a convenience store on High Street in Taunton following a dispute between two groups of youths. A 16-year-old was arrested and charged in that shooting. Despite this brush with violence, Devon’s life was still ahead of him, but it would be cut tragically short on a hot summer night.

The violence that ended Devon’s life began to unfold on Saturday night, June 7, 2008, at a quinceañera, or "Sweet 16" birthday party, held at the Dighton VFW hall on School Street. The event for a teenage girl became unmanageable when the crowd swelled to over 200 people, far exceeding the hall's 100-person capacity. The VFW post commander shut the party down around 10 p.m. due to the unruly and demanding crowd. Though police were called to clear the hall and it took 45 minutes, no violence was reported on the premises. However, the conflict was just beginning.

From Dighton, the confrontation moved into the nearby city of Taunton, Massachusetts. Authorities believe the altercation involved rival youth groups or gangs from Taunton and Brockton. The groups first faced off at the Paul Bunker Drive housing project before moving again, this time to the Charles L. Flannery Memorial Playground on First Street in the Weir Village neighborhood. It was there, in the early hours of Sunday, June 8, 2008, that a massive brawl broke out.

At 1:06 a.m., Taunton Police responded to a report of a fight in the street near the playground. When they arrived, the crowd had scattered, and officers found only some articles of clothing left on the ground. A short time later, police were contacted by personnel at Morton Hospital and Medical Center. They learned that six teenagers had been brought to the emergency room by friends. Devon Hodo, of 19 Second Street, had been stabbed and was pronounced dead shortly after 1 a.m. The five other youths, whose identities were not released, were treated for knife and head wounds. Three were treated and released, while two others were admitted for their injuries.

The investigation into Devon Hodo’s murder was launched immediately, led by Taunton Police detectives and the Massachusetts State Police homicide unit, with assistance from the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office. Investigators were faced with a complex scene and a multitude of potential witnesses from the party and the subsequent brawls. Despite reports of many people being present during the fatal confrontation at Memorial Park, no one has ever been arrested in connection with Devon’s stabbing.

Years have passed, but the case remains an active and open homicide investigation. In an effort to generate new leads, Devon Hodo's case has been featured on the Massachusetts State Police's unresolved case playing cards. These cards, which profile unsolved homicides and missing persons cases, are distributed to inmates in state correctional facilities in the hope that someone with information will finally come forward. As of June 2024, Devon’s murder remains unsolved, a painful open wound for his loved ones and the community. Anyone with information is urged to call the Taunton Police Detectives Division at (508) 821-1475 or state police detectives.