Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Melvin Gene Hodges - Alabama Death Row

  1. #1
    Guest
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5,534

    Melvin Gene Hodges - Alabama Death Row




    Summary of Offense:

    Sentenced to death in June 1999 for the brutal murder on January 4, 1998 of a shop clerk, Elizabeth Seaton, 36, by beating and pistol-whipping her, then running over her repeatedly with a car.

    “The State's evidence tended to show the following. On January 5, 1998, two hunters discovered the nude body of Beth Seaton on the side of County Road 26 in Macon County. The coroner testified that Seaton died as a result of a combination of blunt-force injuries to her head, neck, chest, and abdomen, the most significant being the crushing injuries to her chest and abdomen, which resulted from having been run over by a vehicle. Tire marks ran vertically up and down Seaton's back. A name tag from the Golden Corral Restaurant with Hodges's name on it was found near Seaton's body.

    “Several witnesses also testified that the day after the robbery/murder Hodges had a large quantity of money. Hodges himself testified that he gave his girlfriend $600. Forensic evidence connected Hodges to the robbery/murder. A cigarette butt recovered from Seaton's van contained saliva, the DNA of which matched Hodges's. Also, at the time of Hodges's arrest he had blood on his watch and ring. Furthermore, blood found on the clothes that Murph had discarded for Hodges matched Seaton's DNA.

  2. #2
    Guest
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5,534
    July 27, 2010

    Local Death row inmate's appeal denied

    The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals supports the decision a Lee County court made 11 years ago to sentence a man to death for killing a local restaurant employee.

    A Lee County jury in June 1999 found Melvin Gene Hodges guilty of capital murder in the death of Elizabeth Seaton, 36, and favored a sentence of life in prison without parole. The following month, presiding Judge Robert Harper overruled the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Hodges to death.

    The state court released a 38-page opinion reaffirming the trial court’s decision on Friday.

    District attorney Nick Abbett said Tuesday he suspects Hodges' defense counsel will appeal the opinion for a rehearing. If he doesn't get a rehearing, he said he suspects the defense will appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court under Rule 32, a post conviction proceeding for a defendant to attack a conviction after a direct appeal.

    Such action has been typical of Hodges, who while on death row at the state prison in Atmore, has appealed his sentencing countless times between the trial court, court of criminal appeals and the state supreme court.

    Each time, Hodges claimed his attorney at trial "had failed to adequately investigate and present certain mitigation evidence," such as that he was exposed to "continuous and extreme violence" as a child, he was raised in "extreme poverty," he had been "repeatedly abandoned" with no male role model, and he constantly moved from "one unstable home to another."

    The state court referenced court records to rebuke every one of Hodges' claims.

    "We hold that Hodges failed to meet the heavy burden of proving that counsel's investigation and presentation of mitigating evidence fell outside the wide range of professionally competent assistance. Nor did Hodges prove that, but for defense counsel's alleged errors, there was a reasonable probability of a different outcome at sentencing," the state court concluded in its opinion.

    Abbett, who tried the case 11 years ago with then-chief assistant district attorney Gail Meek, said he anticipates Hodges will be executed for Seaton's death "when they (defense) exhaust every possible avenue."

    What happened on Jan. 4, 1998?

    According to court documents:

    Elizabeth Seaton, 36, a supervisor at Golden Corral in Opelika, had locked up the restaurant for the night when Melvin Gene Hodges, 27, a crew leader at the restaurant, and Marlo S. Murph arrived to rob the place. The pair followed Seaton's van and got her to pull over. They forced Seaton to drive back to the restaurant where they stole cash from the safe.

    They then forced Seaton to drive around the area. Murph testified she pleaded for her life. They eventually made her pull over. Hodges pulled Seaton out of the van and began hitting her with a pistol and choking her. Hodges then got in the van and ran over Seaton a number of times.

    Murph and Hodges left the scene in Seaton's van.

    The next day, Seaton was reported missing to Opelika police. The department also learns of a robbery at the Golden Corral.

    Seaton's body was found in Macon County; her van was at Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church in Opelika.

    Murph and Hodges were eventually arrested and both charged with capital murder during a robbery and capital murder during a kidnapping.

    In a plea agreement, Murph pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in exchange for his testimony against Hodges. The coroner testified that Seaton died of blunt force trauma to the head, chest and abdomen. Her chest and abdomen were crushed as a result of having been run over by the vehicle.

    (Source: The Auburn-Opelika News)

  3. #3
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Appellate courts have upheld the death sentences given to four Alabama death row inmates.

    The Alabama Supreme Court denied an appeal Friday from 41-year-old death row inmate Melvin Gene Hodges. He was convicted in the 1998 kidnapping and robbery death of Elizabeth Seaton, whose body was found in Macon County.

    http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20...er-convictions

  4. #4
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    On May 19, 2014, Hodges filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    http://dockets.justia.com/docket/ala...4cv00374/53974

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •