Crime & Safety
West Sacramento Dad Charged With Murdering 3 Kids — 2 Using Belt
"We have not yet determined if we intend to seek the death penalty," Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig said.
SACRAMENTO, CA — A West Sacramento father has been charged with murdering his three children — including one infant — and a belt was used in at least two of the killings, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors on Monday charged Robert William Hodges, 32, with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kelvin Hodges, 11, Julie Hodges, 9, and Lucas Hodges, nearly eight months.
The two oldest children were killed with a belt, Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig said. He declined to reveal how it was used or give further details, including a motive. Charging documents don't reveal how the infant was slain. (For more information on Robert Hodges's case and other Sacramento stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)
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Hodges is also charged with trying to murder his wife, Mai Hodges, after she called police Wednesday to report she was assaulted. Arriving officers found the three children dead and Robert Hodges missing; he was arrested hours later.
Hodges was scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday. Officials expect to appoint a public defender to represent him.
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He faces three special circumstance allegations that could bring the death penalty if convicted — two of lying in wait plus multiple murders.
"We have not yet determined if we intend to seek the death penalty," Reisig said at a news conference. The decision is months away after prosecutors weigh the circumstances of the case.
The prosecutor also said the facts of the crime would not be released to ensure that Hodges receives a fair trial.
Police have said Mai Hodges did not witness the slayings.
Relatives and neighbors have said there were no apparent problems or abuse in the marriage. Police said they had no history of calls to the family's apartment, and Robert Hodges had no significant criminal record.
By DON THOMPSON, Associated Press
Photo credit: Yolo County Jail via AP
