Laron Ray Hodges, a 39-year-old Black or African American male from Omaha, Nebraska, was last seen by his family on February 2, 2023. A missing person report was filed on February 7, and the subsequent investigation led to a grim discovery. Authorities located his vehicle at a private impound lot in Omaha, and concealed inside was Hodges' body. An investigation determined he had died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the death of Laron Hodges unfolded over several
months, eventually connecting his case to a wider web of violence. In August 2023, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office arrested 42-year-old Kenneth Smith, charging him as an accessory to first-degree murder in Hodges' death. The case took a significant turn in October 2023 when 41-year-old Erika Mims was charged with first-degree murder for his death. Investigators believe the motive for the killing was money.
Court testimony later revealed harrowing details of the crime. Prosecutors allege Mims invited Hodges to her residence in early February. As he was sitting on her bed, she allegedly shot him multiple times until he died. Following the shooting, his body was allegedly stripped of clothing and placed in his vehicle, which was then taken to the impound lot where it was later discovered.
Mims's arrest also linked her to two other violent crimes: the August 2022 murder of another man, Lamar Nedd, and the attempted murder of Ronald Townsend, who was shot and injured in May 2022. Due to the series of alleged crimes, law enforcement officials noted that had her third victim died, she would have met the criteria for a serial killer. Another individual, Erykha Wilson, was also charged as an accessory in the case, accused of helping dispose of the murder weapons.
