Henry Eugene Hodges: Crimes, Victims, and Convictions
Background
Henry Eugene Hodges was born on August 16, 1966, in Florida. He later lived in Tennessee and supported himself through temporary employment, construction work, printing work, and sex work. By the late 1980s, he was known in parts of Nashville’s gay community, where he frequently approached men in bars, parks, and other meeting places.
Hodges became a suspect in a series of murders committed between 1988 and 1990. His victims were adult men, several of whom were gay or bisexual. Investigators believed that he gained access to victims by presenting himself as a companion or sex worker. Once alone with them, he would restrain, rob, and kill them. Hodges reportedly confessed to as many as seven or eight murders, but prosecutors obtained convictions for only three: the murders of Barry McDonald, Ronald Allen Bassett, and Michael A. Whisnant.
Known and Suspected Victims
- Vernon Lester Larkin — believed killed around September 4, 1988; found September 7, 1988 — 442 Knolls Place, Nashville, Tennessee. Larkin, 30, was discovered on the living-room floor of his apartment after his mother became concerned because she had not been able to contact him. He had been bound and gagged. His automobile was stolen and was later recovered in the Atlanta area. Hodges was investigated as a possible suspect, but he was never convicted of Larkin’s murder.
- Barry McDonald — believed killed July 9, 1989; found July 12, 1989 — 2003 Upland Drive, Inglewood, Nashville, Tennessee. McDonald, a 34-year-old nurse originally from Canada, was found by his roommate after the roommate returned from a trip. McDonald had suffered numerous stab wounds, mainly to his neck and back. Property had been taken from the house. A witness reported seeing a slender, light-haired man through a window, and fingerprints recovered from the residence were later connected to Hodges. Hodges eventually pleaded guilty to McDonald’s murder.
- Roland Edward Van Dyck — September 18, 1989; found September 20, 1989 — Nashville, Tennessee. Van Dyck, 42, was found inside his silver Chevrolet Cavalier after a patrol officer noticed the parked vehicle during the early morning. He had been fatally shot. Some early accounts incorrectly treated September 20, the date his body was discovered, as his death date. Records identify September 18 as his date of death. Hodges was considered a possible suspect but was not prosecuted for the killing.
- Robert S. Sibert — October 22, 1989 — Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Sibert was a biology professor at Volunteer State Community College. He was found shot to death, and his credit cards were reportedly used in Nashville on the day his body was discovered. Police investigated the theft of his property while searching for the killer. Hodges was later mentioned as a possible suspect, but no conviction linked him to Sibert’s death.
- Ronald Allen Bassett — May 14, 1990 — Nashville, Tennessee. Bassett, 37, was a telephone repairman. Hodges and his 15-year-old girlfriend, Trina Brown, had decided to rob someone so they could obtain money for a move to Florida. Hodges met Bassett in a Nashville park and accompanied him to Bassett’s home. Bassett was restrained with handcuffs and tape while the house was searched. Jewelry, electronic equipment, a firearm, identification, and other possessions were taken. After discussing whether to leave Bassett alive, Hodges strangled him with a nylon cord. Hodges and Brown attempted to clean the house, used Bassett’s bank card to withdraw money, and fled in his automobile. Hodges was convicted of first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery and received a death sentence for the murder.
- Michael A. Whisnant — May 16, 1990 — Atlanta, Georgia. Whisnant, 32, was a quality-control engineer from North Carolina. He met Hodges at an Atlanta gay bar and went with him to a hotel room. A disagreement reportedly developed over payment. Hodges handcuffed Whisnant and strangled him with a curtain cord. Whisnant’s body was concealed beneath a bed and was discovered later by hotel personnel. Hodges pleaded guilty to the murder and received a life sentence in Georgia.
The Murder of Barry McDonald
Barry McDonald’s killing was one of the most violent crimes connected conclusively to Hodges. McDonald was last known to be alive on the evening of Sunday, July 9, 1989, when his roommate spoke with him by telephone. On Wednesday, July 12, the roommate returned to their house in Nashville’s Inglewood neighborhood and discovered McDonald’s body.
Investigators determined that McDonald had been stabbed dozens of times. The injuries showed a sustained and personal attack rather than a single impulsive blow. The house had also been robbed. A neighbor’s description of a slender, blond or light-haired stranger seen at the residence gave detectives an early picture of the possible killer, but the case remained unresolved for months.
After Hodges was arrested in 1990, investigators compared his fingerprints with prints collected from McDonald’s house. The evidence placed him inside the residence. Hodges admitted responsibility and, on December 22, 1992, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and robbery. He received a life sentence for the killing, in addition to a separate prison term for the robbery.
The Murder of Ronald Allen Bassett
The Bassett murder became the central case in the prosecution of Hodges because investigators possessed detailed testimony from Trina Brown. According to the evidence presented in court, Hodges and Brown were staying with one of Hodges’s relatives in Smyrna, Tennessee. They wanted to leave for Florida but lacked sufficient money. They therefore planned to find a man Hodges could lure to a private location and rob.
On May 14, 1990, Hodges met Ronald Bassett in a Nashville park. Bassett drove Hodges to his residence. Once inside, Hodges handcuffed Bassett and secured his legs with tape. Brown later entered the house, and the pair searched the rooms for valuables. Bassett remained restrained and pleaded for his life while Hodges and Brown discussed what to do with him.
Hodges ultimately strangled Bassett with a nylon rope or cord. After the killing, Hodges and Brown remained in the residence while attempting to remove evidence. They stole Bassett’s automobile and possessions and withdrew approximately $400 using his bank card. When news reports announced the discovery of Bassett’s body, they abandoned the stolen vehicle and continued south.
Hodges entered guilty pleas to premeditated first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery. A Tennessee jury heard evidence during the sentencing phase and imposed the death penalty on January 30, 1992. He also received a lengthy consecutive sentence for the robbery.
The Murder of Michael A. Whisnant
Only two days after Bassett’s death, Hodges encountered Michael A. Whisnant in Atlanta. Whisnant had traveled from North Carolina and met Hodges at a bar. The two arranged to return to Hodges’s hotel room. Available accounts state that they disagreed about the amount of money Whisnant could pay.
Hodges restrained Whisnant with handcuffs and strangled him using a cord taken from the hotel-room curtains. He then placed Whisnant’s body beneath the bed. A hotel employee entered and cleaned the room without immediately noticing the body. It was discovered later, and Atlanta police began searching for Hodges and Brown.
Hodges and Brown were arrested on May 18, 1990, near Whisnant’s home in Shelby, North Carolina. Hodges was returned to Georgia, where he pleaded guilty on July 31, 1990. He received a life sentence for Whisnant’s murder.
Confessions and Additional Investigations
Following his arrest, Hodges claimed responsibility for more killings than the three cases that resulted in convictions. Authorities in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and other jurisdictions compared his statements with unresolved murders involving male victims. Investigators examined similarities such as restraint, strangulation, robbery, stolen automobiles, and victims being attacked inside homes or hotel rooms.
Hodges was publicly associated with the deaths of Vernon Larkin, Roland Van Dyck, and Robert Sibert. However, being investigated as a suspect is not the same as being proven responsible. The available evidence did not lead to convictions in those cases, and the deaths should therefore be described as suspected connections rather than confirmed Hodges murders. Reports also referred to unidentified possible victims, but reliable names and verified death dates were not publicly established.
Sentences and Imprisonment
Hodges received a life sentence in Georgia for killing Michael Whisnant. In Tennessee, he received another life sentence for Barry McDonald’s murder. His conviction for the murder of Ronald Bassett resulted in a death sentence, with an additional prison term for robbery. These combined sentences ensured that Hodges would remain imprisoned even if his death sentence were overturned.
Hodges has spent decades in Tennessee’s maximum-security prison system while pursuing appeals and other legal actions. His case is remembered for the rapid sequence of the Bassett and Whisnant murders, his admissions concerning additional deaths, and the difficulty investigators faced when attempting to separate confirmed crimes from unresolved cases in which he was only a suspect.
