Hello, I just watched this case and to my surprise it seems to go unmentioned on this forum.

This is the young woman who was shot with a rifle while inside of her car.
She had insomnia and felt dirty/took showers close to the time of the murder.
also asked her mother about relations with a married man.

my instinct is that she found out she was pregnant(what she wanted to tell her father maybe?). Maybe the married man found out and shot her with his rifle.

this seems to be consistent with the UM story.


Is there any updates? Anyone know more information?

I'm sure if she was pregnant they would have been able to tell when an autopsy was performed.

The "maybe she was pregnant" scenario has never been assumed on these boards before. Interesting. Funny thing, it came to be known that Angela Hammond was pregnant when she was abducted, but for some reason, it was never mentioned in the UM segment. As for Rhonda, one never knows. :confused:

That would be interesting to know if she was pregnant. If I remember my statistics correctly, the number one cause of death of pregnant women is the baby daddy.

There is an older thread on this case.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=34665&highlight=rhonda+hinson

Here's the Burke Co Sherrif's link. It doesn't detail much more than what's already known, but I thought I'd post it nonetheless:

http://www.burkesheriff.org/hinson.htm

My ideas are formed, admittedly, from gleaning the little information given in the UM segment and any other tiny piece of information I've come across, but I tend to believe the key to finding out who killed Rhonda Hinson lies in that steel company. I'm unsure what I think her status may have been---I'm not totally convinced she was mixed in with a man she shouldn't have been, and sometimes wonder if she was just someone who knew way too much. Nonetheless, I think someone in that steel firm knows the complete story. Unless you've been tailing someone for weeks on end very closely without being detected, it'd be maybe a little difficult to deduce that Rhonda would be attending an office Christmas party on the evening of December 22, and it would be even more difficult to determine when exactly she would be returning home from said party. That's why, at this point, I feel someone at the same party (or at least someone close enough to the company to be aware of it) would've had to have given Rhonda's killer that information. Rhonda gets ready to leave, exits out the office doors, and a phone call is made. The killer(s) know to wait by Exit 112 and watch for her.

The nature of the crime suggests a hired hit to me. There are countless scenarios that would seem to fit: respected local steelman is having an illicit affair with Rhonda and his wife seeks revenge; Rhonda knows too much about an affair the hypothetical steelman is involved in and just might tell; Rhonda knows something ugly about Hickory Steel and its business practices; Rhonda's been raped by a superior and he's worried she's going to come forward. Regardless of what the reason for the crime was, I firmly believe it was contracted. The weapon, the sniping, the multiple and suspicious cars on Mineral Springs Mountain Road around that time that evening all seem to point in that general direction.

Posts in the other thread summarize it best, however. There's a lot of information kept out of public reach, and for good reason. I just hope someday it's solved. Rhonda's case is especially haunting.

Just bumping to say I rewatched the segment, and am more confident in the idea that someone at the party may have tipped the killer(s) off. Rhonda left the party with two friends around 12:30, and dropped them off before heading home. The suspicious blue vehicle under the I-40 bridge was spotted between 12:15 and 12:30, before Rhonda exited onto Mineral Springs Mountain Road. I can't imagine, if the two men in the vehicle were indeed involved (and I believe they very likely may have been), that they'd be willing to go on guesswork, posting themselves under the bridge and not knowing exactly when Rhonda would be driving by. That would be taking too great a risk in possibly being identified.

EDIT: I like this thread. I think it's probably the best Rhonda Hinson thread on the board. A lot of good points are brought up, and there's some additional information not covered in the segment DarkDante found:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=166193

Bumping again. So the Burke Co site says Rhonda left with someone else and then went to go pick up her car, and the segment re-enactment has Rhonda dropping her co-workers off before heading home. Which is it? :( If it's the former, then that might change things up a bit.

I'm very interested in the actual scene of the crime itself. Valdese, NC is roughly the same distance east from Knoxville as Nashville is west, so I'm thinking of maybe driving up there on Friday (I'll be free all day; it'll be the beginning of my spring break). There's a big farmer's market just over the TN/NC line that's always great in the spring and summer, and Valdese isn't too much farther away. I'll probably take some pictures of the bridge and Mineral Springs Mountain Rd as well; if you guys want, I can post them up on this thread or link to them or something.

Bumping again. So the Burke Co site says Rhonda left with someone else and then went to go pick up her car, and the segment re-enactment has Rhonda dropping her co-workers off before heading home. Which is it? :( If it's the former, then that might change things up a bit.

I'm very interested in the actual scene of the crime itself. Valdese, NC is roughly the same distance east from Knoxville as Nashville is west, so I'm thinking of maybe driving up there on Friday (I'll be free all day; it'll be the beginning of my spring break). There's a big farmer's market just over the TN/NC line that's always great in the spring and summer, and Valdese isn't too much farther away. I'll probably take some pictures of the bridge and Mineral Springs Mountain Rd as well; if you guys want, I can post them up on this thread or link to them or something.

It would be very interesting to see what you come up with. You're lucky that you live close enough to an actual crime scene that was featured in UM (not to mention, you can visit the farmers market too). Is Mineral Springs Mountain Road a very long stretch of road? I just visited the Burke County website and they have the exact route that Rhonda took, so that should be of help to you. I don't know about everyone else, but I would like to see the pictures.

Thanks a lot for pointing the map out; that'll be extremely helpful. Mineral Springs Mtn looks like it's a fairly long stretch. The section just off I-40 looks like it goes uphill, and I'm interested in seeing the layout of the land; I want to see how that all fits in with the shooting. I'll definitely post when I get them up.

Thanks a lot for pointing the map out; that'll be extremely helpful. Mineral Springs Mtn looks like it's a fairly long stretch. The section just off I-40 looks like it goes uphill, and I'm interested in seeing the layout of the land; I want to see how that all fits in with the shooting. I'll definitely post when I get them up.

If the Burke County website didn't state the directions, I don't know how you would be able to find the spot. You have a safe trip to NC and can't wait to hear about it when you get back. :wave:

Thanks! :)

Yes, definitely take pictures, I am eager to see what it looks like now. Also, since watching UM, i have been obsessed with reading road atlases, and finding certain locations, etc... The other day I was looking at Valdese, and it is literally right on I40, so the Mineral springs mtn rd should be right there. Pretty simple. I can't believe that happened 28 yrs ago! thats crazy to think. too bad you couldn't contact the local paper and tell them and see if they can get in contact w/ her parents and get a new article written on the case (local papers are pretty hard up for material, so in theory, it wouldn't be that difficult.) Keep posted.

Yes, definitely take pictures, I am eager to see what it looks like now. Also, since watching UM, i have been obsessed with reading road atlases, and finding certain locations, etc...

I also do the same thing. I did a search for the Kristi Krebs case, starting from Ft. Bragg, CA and then tried to find the park (by Mendocino) where her burnt car was found in. I also did a search for Au Sable Forks, NY (Kerri Lynn Nixon), Gallup, NM (Anthonette Cayedito) and the couple from Vancouver that were found murdered in Seattle, Jay Cook & Tonya Von Cuylonborg...I tried to find the route they were taking on the boat, but I need to re-watch that segment.

Here are the photos from my NC trip today. I hope they'll help everyone understand the crime scene a little bit better; actually seeing the site in the daylight and in stills helps a lot, I think.


I passed the eastbound exit and turned around at Exit 113 so that I could get on I-40W to travel Rhonda's exact route (she would've been coming west from Hickory, NC, which is roughly about 10 miles up the interstate from Valdese). Here is the westbound Exit 112:
146219

Exit 112 ramp. Rhonda made a right at the yield sign onto Mineral Springs Mountain Road:
146220

The I-40 bridge just west of the stop sign at the bottom of the ramp, where the two men in the blue Chevy were reported by the witness between 12:15 and 12:30 AM:
146221

More in a minute.

Under the I-40 bridge. This is my car parked where the blue Chevy was reported to be:
146223

View of bridge from Mineral Springs Mountain. I was standing a few hundred feet in front of the actual murder site when I took this photo:
146224

View from under the bridge. This is what the individuals in the car would've seen. Just beyond the oncoming white car and interstate on-ramp on the left is the site:
146225

Another photo of the road, just to demonstrate how steep the hill is. Rhonda's car rolled backwards, into the left lane, and onto the shoulder after the shot:
146226

Mineral Springs Mountain Rd, on the route the witness under hypnosis drove his truck:
146227

Many of you will recognize this stretch of road:
146228

This is where MSMR ends at Highway 70, into a residential area dotted with a few businesses and churches. The entire stretch of road from the interstate can't be over four or five miles long. I was always under the impression the road was far more rural than what it is--of course, that was 27 years ago:
146229

I grossly misconceived MSMR as a quiet rural route: let it be known, it is NOT. For this reason, I found it difficult to get a really good photo of the exact place Rhonda's car was; there was virtually no shoulder and I would've had to block a street next to the on-ramp. The exact site is noted when it is visible in one of the above photos. It is directly across the road in the final picture of my previous post, hidden almost entirely by the van in the left lane. The main idea was to show you all a better overall picture of the area and how things sit in relation to one another. Hope that's what I've done.

Wow! Thanks for posting those pictures, thats really interesting to see that in daylight and see real pictures of it. How did it feel actually being there? I'm sure there weren't any markers on the side of the road where she was found after so long. I wonder if her parents still live in that town.

Wow, amazing pictures Meg the egg! Great work! it seems that scene overall looks the same as it would have in 1981 except that there were those barricades keeping you from pulling over further. Personally, I think Rhonda Hinson was murdered by someone that knew her quite well and had a deep seeded reason for murdering her. It is obvious that this is the case.

I just stopped at the crime scene on my way back from Asheville. I had no idea just how close it was to I-40. It is a hundred yards, at most. In addition to the photos Meg provided, there is a little wooden cross with a red wreath at the site. Did you happen to see it Meg? I did not have my digital camera with me.

Wow! Thanks for posting those pictures, thats really interesting to see that in daylight and see real pictures of it. How did it feel actually being there? I'm sure there weren't any markers on the side of the road where she was found after so long. I wonder if her parents still live in that town.

No problem at all! I recognized the bridge immediately, but the reality of it all didn't really hit me until I turned around at Highway 70 and came back the opposite way (the way the trucker driver came in the segment). When I saw that long stretch of road coming off that hill, it was the weirdest sense of deja vu. I'd seen this so many times on film, but it wasn't as though it was a "real" place until then.

I don't know about Bobby and Judy Hinson, but I get a strong feeling they probably do still live in Valdese. While I was in the area, I was fortunate enough to have time to pay my respects to Rhonda. She is buried at Burke Memorial Gardens in Morganton, which is one exit west of Valdese from I-40. The man at the cemetery office (who was incredibly nice, btw) knew where she was without even consulting a map. That was a definite "reality moment", if you will. For me (and I imagine many of you all), there's a certain sense of removal from "real life" from UM, even though you're totally aware the events that are being re-enacted actually happened. Looking down at her resting place destroyed any of that for me.

I was really glad I went, however. It's done a lot to supplement my ideas about what happened, and I hope the photos might generate some discussion. I like your earlier idea about getting a new article written a lot, and I think I may look into it. I'll let you all know if anything transpires.

I just stopped at the crime scene on my way back from Asheville. I had no idea just how close it was to I-40. It is a hundred yards, at most. In addition to the photos Meg provided, there is a little wooden cross with a red wreath at the site. Did you happen to see it Meg? I did not have my digital camera with me.

That's what surprised me the most, how close it is to the interstate. I mean, you could literally throw a rock from the crime scene to the on-ramp. I did notice the cross and wanted to get a photo of it, but as you saw there wasn't a lot of good spots for me to park and get a really good picture--by then traffic had really picked up for some reason. It's right off the interstate and it's an entry to the main part of town, of course, but I never expected it was going to be so busy!

Wow, amazing pictures Meg the egg! Great work! it seems that scene overall looks the same as it would have in 1981 except that there were those barricades keeping you from pulling over further. Personally, I think Rhonda Hinson was murdered by someone that knew her quite well and had a deep seeded reason for murdering her. It is obvious that this is the case.

Thanks. :) This is one of those cases that profoundly effected me. I pray it can be solved in Mr. and Mrs. Hinson's lifetime.

I don't know about Bobby and Judy Hinson, but I get a strong feeling they probably do still live in Valdese.



Well I was trying to figure this out, I went to yellow pages and was able to find a name, and mapquested it, and it turns out this address is right off of mineral springs mtn rd, where it should be...so who knows.

That's what surprised me the most, how close it is to the interstate. I mean, you could literally throw a rock from the crime scene to the on-ramp. I did notice the cross and wanted to get a photo of it, but as you saw there wasn't a lot of good spots for me to park and get a really good picture--by then traffic had really picked up for some reason. It's right off the interstate and it's an entry to the main part of town, of course, but I never expected it was going to be so busy!

Actually, there is a tiny spot to pull in beside the cross. It's hard to see, but I was there early this morning when there was no traffic. I was happy to see that there is a memorial, albeit small, there to honor Rhonda.

Regarding her killers, I have wondered about the possiblity that maybe a couple of dumb teenagers were out playing with a gun after too many beers. Maybe they were using Rhonda's car as target practice and did not mean to kill her, considering that the bullet had to go through the entire car before mortally wounding her. I just have a hard time believing that a 19 year old girl would have enemies that would wish her that kind of harm on her, absent a jilted ex-boyfriend or jealous lover.

Another possibility in my mind is that Rhonda was killed by a complete stranger in a random act of violence. Given the proximity to I-40 (which runs from the North Carolina coast all the way to California), the killer had the perfect escape route. Lots of crimes have been committed next to major highways and interstates that have never been solved. These areas are safe havens for serial killers or looney tunes looking for a quick "hit and run" type of crime. Also, Valdese is a town of roughly 4,000 people. Most everyone knows each other and small towns talk. I think something in the past three decades would have leaked out if, in fact, a local(s) killed Rhonda.

I know it's not the most reliable, but the witness under hypnosis recalled seeing a second car parked down the road, just after he saw the man at Rhonda's car. If this person was an innocent bystander, why not come forward to help the police? I've thought about the random act of violence, and I just don't think it fits here.

Rhonda's behavior prior to the murder was out of character as well (the insomnia, the conversations with her parents, and asking her father to accompany her whenever she drove into town), so I think that's probably related. Meg's theory about the steel company having some link is probably close to the mark.

Another possibility in my mind is that Rhonda was killed by a complete stranger in a random act of violence. Given the proximity to I-40 (which runs from the North Carolina coast all the way to California), the killer had the perfect escape route. Lots of crimes have been committed next to major highways and interstates that have never been solved. These areas are safe havens for serial killers or looney tunes looking for a quick "hit and run" type of crime. Also, Valdese is a town of roughly 4,000 people. Most everyone knows each other and small towns talk. I think something in the past three decades would have leaked out if, in fact, a local(s) killed Rhonda.

Possible. But, that would mean that Rhonda Hinson was not his only murder most likely. Is there another similar crime(s) that could be linked to hers?

The problem with your theory is that Rhonda's bizzare behavior prior to the incident points more to her having known her killer.

Rhonda;s behavior is classic post-rape behavior IMHO.

.

Meg, those are great pictures! Seeing that road in the daylight gives a better idea of what the area looks like. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Also, the captions with each picture is helpful too.

It's incredible that you had the opportunity to visit Rhonda's grave, yeah I bet that was a "reality moment" for you. :(

Very creepy indeed. Thanks for the pics

Thanks Meg, I've never seen pictures like that before, taken by a "layperson" and not someone official, or on "TV"...makes it more real, more tragic in a way.

Everyone has already thrown out a lot of theories here. My feeling is this:

Rhonda was having an affair with a married man that she worked with. He told her that he and his wife were separated and getting a divorce, which is one of the reasons that she agreed to go out with him, but the problem was that she was in over her head. He wasn't honest with her, and she later found out that he lied to her, he and his wife still lived together, and so she decided to break it off but she felt she loved him. This is one of the reasons why she asked her mother while she was having the affair, before she found out, "Is there ever a time when it is okay to go with a married man." She knew that being with a married man was wrong, but what she wanted her mother to say was, "if he is separated or in the process of getting a divorce..." but she didn't want to give her mother the details. Then when she found out he lied to her, she felt "unclean."

I believe that Rhonda got threats from this man's wife when she found out about the affair. I think this is what Rhonda wanted to talk to her father about, but she didn't want to admit to her father that she was "committing adultery"...her mother says something in the segment about her always trying to please them. I think there was denial going on - her parents didn't push because they didn't want to shatter their image of their "little girl". I don't think that Rhonda was assaulted, I think she felt dirty because she'd been lied to, and maybe she wasn't breaking the relationship off right away, she was still "saying goodbye" to him and continuing the affair. In the end, I do think she broke it off because she was unable to sleep from guilt. he wasn't happy about this, and promised to leave his wife. that's what kept her holding on.

I feel that the man's wife was involved. I feel that this wasn't meant to be a "death shot" but a warning shot to scare Rhonda into leaving her husband alone, because the wife found out and he said something stupid like he was going to leave her for Rhonda. I think that's what the threat was that Rhonda wanted to share with her father. Either that, or the wife was vindictive enough to actually want to end Rhonda's life. I feel Rhonda was threatened and decided to talk to her father about this part of the story because this was physical and she'd already approached her mother about the emotional part. She wanted to know what to do and whether to take the threats seriously. She wasn't discussing the morality of it with her father, like her mother, she wanted protection, but she didn't want to disappoint her father by telling him the whole story in order to get it. Part of the naivety of her age is that she believed it would all just go away.

The men were either hired, or cousins, or something, but they were connected to the wife. I feel something went wrong - again, that man standing next to the car who was seen by the witness, I don't think a professional hit would be that careless and risk being identified or stopped by the police.

The other possibility is that she broke up with him and he decided to kill her. The reason he makes sense as the killer, because whoever set her down there, obviously cared enough to "place her hands by her sides" and not just throw her down like a random shooter might. but if I had to choose theories, I'd go with the wife.

This past December was the 30th anniversary of Rhonda's murder. But still no suspects have been tracked down. DNA was lifted from the armpits of Rhonda's sweater that wasn't hers (I assume it belonged to the guy that dragged her body to the ground outside her car before fleeing.) But no updates have come from it.

http://www2.morganton.com/news/2011/dec/22/rhonda-hinsons-killing-turns-30-ar-1743467/

Friday marks 30 years since Rhonda Hinson was fatally shot while returning home from a Christmas party.

The same question investigators had Dec. 23, 1981 still lingers today — who killed 19-year-old Hinson?

Capt. Becky Weatherman, the current investigator working the Burke County Sheriff’s Office most investigated case, says the biggest hindrance in solving this murder is that it happened 30 years ago.

It was six years before DNA was first used in a courtroom, Weatherman said, and procedures for criminal investigations were far simpler than today.

“If it had happened today, it would be solved,” she said.

Three decades passing has also affected the case. Witnesses die, memories fade and evidence falls through the cracks.

But Weatherman said the sheriff’s office remains determined to find Hinson’s killer.

She hopes this will be the last anniversary of Hinson’s deaths that her parents spend without knowing who shot their daughter or why she’s dead.

Hinson’s death

Hinson was last seen alive at a friend’s house on Dec. 23, 1981. The two had left Hickory Steel’s employee Christmas party, and Hinson left her car at the house when she went to the party.

Investigators say after leaving the friend's residence, Rhonda drove her beige Datsun 210 west on Interstate 40 and exited onto the Mineral Springs Mountain/Highway 350 off-ramp.

She turned right and began traveling up a steep hill toward her home when a high-powered rifle projectile was fired into the vehicle. The bullet entered the Datsun through the trunk and continued through the back seat and driver's side seat, entering Rhonda's back and piercing her lung and heart.

Hinson was found lying dead in a ditch beside the open driver's side door of her Datsun that was still running.

She was less than a mile from her home.

Investigators believe someone pulled her from the car after she died. They do not know if that person was the gunman.

‘Best lead’ yet

Investigators have received hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tips in this case, according to Weatherman. The case files fill two filing cabinets and investigators have eyed more than 100 possible suspects.

Each new lead was tracked down, but none have led to an arrest.

“It’s frustrating,” Weatherman said.

But in 2007 Weatherman and SBI Agent Marc Sharpe stumbled on what she said is “probably the best lead” investigators have in the case.

The pair was at an SBI-sponsored seminar on “touch DNA,” the genetic fingerprint people leave on items they touch.

Weatherman and Sharpe realized one of the few pieces of evidence kept at the sheriff’s office, Hinson’s sweater, likely contained DNA from the person who pulled her from the car.

They sent the sweater to an SBI lab and found DNA in the armpits that did not belong to Hinson.

A DNA profile is logged in state and national DNA databases, and the sheriff’s office is just waiting for someone to enter a match.

New DNA samples are entered into these databases daily, including samples from every person in North Carolina charged with a felony and many convicts, and Weatherman is hopeful this is how investigators will crack the case.

Weatherman said she’d trade the forensics for a confession, or for a witness who saw what happened.

“Someone knows,” she said.

Weatherman asks that anyone with information on Hinson’s death call the Burke County Sheriff’s Office at 438-5500. A $20,000 reward is offered for information that leads to a conviction in this case.

Another article from this past December...

http://www2.morganton.com/news/2011/dec/22/hinsons-family-seeks-answers-closure-ar-1743469/

VALDESE --

Christmas is a hard time of year for Bobby and Judy Hinson.

Their daughter Rhonda was killed coming home from a Christmas party 30 years ago. She was 19.

For years, the couple didn’t celebrate Christmas. Then they started celebrating the holiday, in part to keep Rhonda’s killer from stealing another piece of their life.

Judy still tears up thinking about her daughter.

“I remember her laugh more than anything else,” she said. “Her eyes always twinkled when she laughed.”

Bobby said their daughter was always friendly and carefree.

The question of why Rhonda was fatally shot has perplexed Bobby since he first learned she was dead.

“I don’t know anyone that could have been mad enough at Rhonda to intentionally kill her,” he said.

Police, too, have struggled with a motive and have yet to make an arrest after three decades.

The couple have talked with a dozen or more investigators, hired private investigators and had a score of psychics come out to help solve the case.

None could tell them who killed Rhonda.

“Thirty years is a long time,” Judy said. “You would have thought someone would have hit on something.”

Judy said she was focused on seeing her daughter’s killer prosecuted. Now she’d settle for an apology.

Bobby says he still hasn’t let Rhonda’s death sink in — sometimes he goes to the door where Rhonda used to come home to wait for his daughter — and he tries not to dwell on it.

He wouldn’t survive if he did, he explained.

They are hopeful that the gunman will someday be caught.

Dec. 23, 1981

Rhonda did something on Dec. 22 that she’d never done before: she stayed out late.

Bobby explained that Rhonda was scared to be out at night and never was out past midnight.

Shortly after midnight, Judy awoke and realized something was wrong.

“I woke up when she wasn’t here,” Judy said. “I was panicked.”

The mom says that is when she first knew her daughter had died.

The couple listened to a police scanner and heard that there had been a murder just a short distance from their home. They called hospitals and friends looking for Rhonda but couldn’t find her.

A few hours later, John McDevitt, then a sheriff’s investigator, came to their door and told them the news. McDevitt retired as sheriff earlier this year.

Judy remembers little of the actual conversation.

“The only thing I remember him (McDevitt) saying is ‘You’ve got to calm down. Someone has to talk to me,’” she said.

At first, she denied it.

“What I tried to do is pretend it wasn’t true,” Judy said.

She concocted a story in her mind that someone else was driving her daughter’s car, but a deputy that played tennis with Rhonda told Judy that it was definitely her daughter.

Bobby said when the couple made it back to bed, he was sure they would wake up the next day and have investigators tell them who shot their little girl.

That day has turned to three decades, and the Hinsons still don’t have an answer.

Thanks for these updates, dynoguy. Sad that it hasn't been solved...

It looks totally planned - they pull up behind or something and fired the fatal shot.

I don't know if this has been discussed: I just re-watched the segment yesterday, and they had something I hadn't noticed before. There was the witness that said they saw a Blue Chevelle with 2 men inside it. It was the one that was parked and I think only had its parking lights on or something.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. Later, another witness saw the Blue car speeding away from the site, and I think one of the men was driving it. The same witness saw Rhonda's car and then a THIRD car and another male. It had been theorized that this other male may have been an innocent passerby who stopped to help out. But being that 2 men were spotted in the blue car, and only one when it was spotted speeding away, it would seem this second male is either the killer, or knows who is.

Now, my questions are: 1) Why did the one guy get sent off and the other guy linger around the crime scene? I think I may have an answer. The segment stated that latent fingerprints were found, but they haven't been able to match it to anybody. I think that the guy that was sent ahead was the killer and had committed previous crimes and his fingerprints were on file. He was sent ahead so that he would not leave any fingerprints or evidence that could be traced back to him. I think the guy that lingered around was the one who orchestrated the hit (not the actual shooter) and was probably someone who had not committed any previous crimes, so he wasn't extremely worried about fingerprints being left.

It's also interesting to note that TWO cars were spotted. The blue Chevelle, and also a black or dark blue Trans-Am.

Now I'm sure there were several folks in the area that had a car matching one description or the other. But both of them combined is interesting: Someone would have had to known two guys that knew each other and each owning a car that matched to the descriptions.

I think this is another one of those UM cases were there are likely several people (many perhaps) that know the identity of the killers, but haven't revealed it.

I don't know if this has been discussed: I just re-watched the segment yesterday, and they had something I hadn't noticed before. There was the witness that said they saw a Blue Chevelle with 2 men inside it. It was the one that was parked and I think only had its parking lights on or something.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. Later, another witness saw the Blue car speeding away from the site, and I think one of the men was driving it. The same witness saw Rhonda's car and then a THIRD car and another male. It had been theorized that this other male may have been an innocent passerby who stopped to help out. But being that 2 men were spotted in the blue car, and only one when it was spotted speeding away, it would seem this second male is either the killer, or knows who is.

Now, my questions are: 1) Why did the one guy get sent off and the other guy linger around the crime scene? I think I may have an answer. The segment stated that latent fingerprints were found, but they haven't been able to match it to anybody. I think that the guy that was sent ahead was the killer and had committed previous crimes and his fingerprints were on file. He was sent ahead so that he would not leave any fingerprints or evidence that could be traced back to him. I think the guy that lingered around was the one who orchestrated the hit (not the actual shooter) and was probably someone who had not committed any previous crimes, so he wasn't extremely worried about fingerprints being left.

It's also interesting to note that TWO cars were spotted. The blue Chevelle, and also a black or dark blue Trans-Am.

Now I'm sure there were several folks in the area that had a car matching one description or the other. But both of them combined is interesting: Someone would have had to known two guys that knew each other and each owning a car that matched to the descriptions.

I think this is another one of those UM cases were there are likely several people (many perhaps) that know the identity of the killers, but haven't revealed it.

I love discussing this case. I did an analysis on it a few years back and I think I figured a lot of things out about this case to my satisfaction anyhow. I think the guy who was seen at Rhonda's car was likely either the individual who ordered the hit and was checking to make sure that Hinson was dead or it's possible that Rhonda's killer was not a professional hitman (therefore no fingerprints/record on file) and was himself "checking on" Hinson after he shot her.

The one thing I'm nearly one hundred percent convinced of is that the man seen at Rhonda Hinson's car that night was somehow involved in her murder. He was not there just by coincidence (just by coincidence...) or an innocent passer by who ran from the crime scene once he realized Hinson was dead. He made no attempt to flag down any other motorist on the road in order to draw attention to the crime scene nor did he ever report the fact that he was at the crime scene to anyone after the fact. He is involved somehow in the murder of Rhonda Hinson quite possibly in the scenario that wiseguy presented above.

Another feeling I've always had in this case is that the authorities have a pretty good idea about who either murdered Rhonda Hinson or the exact circumstances that lead to her being targeted for murder. I've never felt this case is as mysterious as the UM presented it to be and in fact Judy and Bobby Hinson may have shared with audiences the general idea of the events that lead up to Rhonda Hinson's murder. I don't think Rhonda's murder in any way was a random act of violence, I think it was either a contract hit or more than likely murder committed by a party who was very much invested in the idea that Rhonda Hinson be silenced...permanently.

I think there are a well connected chain of events that lead up to Rhonda Hinson's life being taken from her on that particular evening. I think the fact that she was coming home from a holiday party at her place of employment is extremely telling and the fact that we know so little about what may have went on at that party or at that workplace in general is one of the many frustrations that us websleuths have in trying to piece together what did happen. But there is no doubt a well connected chain of events here (and I believe even some suspects) but just no concrete evidence where these individuals can be brought to justice.

The persons that are responsible for Rhonda's murder knew 1) where she worked, and 2) where she lived. This wouldn't be information just anyone would know. I think this, coupled with the descriptions of the cars, would have had to produced at least one viable suspect. I feel that this is a solvable case (even after all these years), and agree with Dante that it is probably known (at least to locals) who did this, but perhaps they were waiting on additional evidence that was just never there?

One thing I would be curious to know about is if the witness who came upon the man at Rhonda's car noticed if the man was trying to obscure his face. If so, that would be the conclusive proof right there he was involved and not a passerby.

Another feeling I've always had in this case is that the authorities have a pretty good idea about who either murdered Rhonda Hinson or the exact circumstances that lead to her being targeted for murder. I've never felt this case is as mysterious as the UM presented it to be and in fact Judy and Bobby Hinson may have shared with audiences the general idea of the events that lead up to Rhonda Hinson's murder. I don't think Rhonda's murder in any way was a random act of violence, I think it was either a contract hit or more than likely murder committed by a party who was very much invested in the idea that Rhonda Hinson be silenced...permanently.

I think there are a well connected chain of events that lead up to Rhonda Hinson's life being taken from her on that particular evening. I think the fact that she was coming home from a holiday party at her place of employment is extremely telling and the fact that we know so little about what may have went on at that party or at that workplace in general is one of the many frustrations that us websleuths have in trying to piece together what did happen. But there is no doubt a well connected chain of events here (and I believe even some suspects) but just no concrete evidence where these individuals can be brought to justice.

I think you hit the nail perfectly on the head here.

I've always felt strongly that this was a hit and, I feel like the person or people hired to do it were a lot like Elmo Florence in the sense that they were local unsavory folks ("toughs", as RS would say) that may not have normally "mixed" socially with the individual who employed their services (thereby complicating any investigatory connection between them--much like John Mooney had banked on regarding Florence). I think this person or people were probably known in the community, but that there's difficulty in making a ready connection between that party and the hiring party. Just a feeling I have.

The persons that are responsible for Rhonda's murder knew 1) where she worked, and 2) where she lived. This wouldn't be information just anyone would know. I think this, coupled with the descriptions of the cars, would have had to produced at least one viable suspect. I feel that this is a solvable case (even after all these years), and agree with Dante that it is probably known (at least to locals) who did this, but perhaps they were waiting on additional evidence that was just never there?

One thing I would be curious to know about is if the witness who came upon the man at Rhonda's car noticed if the man was trying to obscure his face. If so, that would be the conclusive proof right there he was involved and not a passerby.

That would be interesting to know. As I remember the witness under hypnosis revealed both the hair color and the physical makeup of the individual at Hinson's car but nothing of his physical features. It's possible that he never got a close enough look to make a determination.

Remember if the individual was checking on Hinson he may have been obscured by the car door/window of Rhonda Hinson's vehicle. He may have been bent over so that his body was inside the car (remember he pulled her out of the vehicle at some point) which would've easily obscured his facial features. The fact that he pulled her out into the road is interesting to me:

While we can assume that the individual deduced Rhonda Hinson was dead, my feeling is an innocent passer-by would've left her body right where it lay in the car. My feeling is that most people wouldn't have risked the chance that their layman diagnosis was wrong and therefore potentially caused Hinson further injury by dragging her body from the car and to the ground. The fact that he did move Rhonda's body speaks to me of someone who cared not one iota for Hinson's well being (alive or dead) and would've thought nothing of leaving a young girl on the side of the road to die.

It is crazy, she was shot threw the trunk of her car and hit in the heart. I think the person would have to be one heck of a shot. As far as we know, no other shots where fired (are hit the car)... This tells me it could be a HIT. But why? Why would someone put a hit out on a 19 year old girl....

Here's a new 35th anniversary article about Rhonda's murder. Both her parents are still alive, but I can't imagine how difficult this time of year must be for them. By the sound of things, LE has enough evidence to make an arrest if they could only match it to a specific suspect:
http://www.morganton.com/community/a-life-stolen-years-and-still-no-arrest-in-rhonda/article_d0f57bc0-c89c-11e6-a1d3-8f25aa2e5dc7.html

it's so sad to read that article. I hope that this is one of the next cold cases from the show that is solved.

what is sad is that the mom and dad knew something was wrong, but could really do nothing to stop it. I always get stuck on the personal relationship(s) with someone that she may have had outside of work. and her mom's tone is striking when she says "people getting hurt" I think that is the motive.

I'm curious of Rhonda's co-workers who were there at the Christmas party. Any one ever came forward about anyone showing strange behavior towards her that evening? or even in the workplace? I know 35 years can tarnish a lot of memories but still it's information that could possibly help. Have any of them been re interviewed by the police assuming the police talked to them in the first place?

It is crazy, she was shot threw the trunk of her car and hit in the heart. I think the person would have to be one heck of a shot. As far as we know, no other shots where fired (are hit the car)... This tells me it could be a HIT. But why? Why would someone put a hit out on a 19 year old girl....

It was probably a warning shot to get her to pull over. Not even the best sharp shooters out there would say they could shoot the trunk of a moving car and expect to hit the driver. Total fluke that the bullet struck the young lady in the heart.

Again, it's Topix, so please take it with a big grain of salt, but I found this today:

http://m.topix.com/forum/city/valdese-nc/TKOT99F0VSQB91958

Oscar Pascal was chief of police for the Valdese PD at the time of Rhonda's death. Steve Hoyle became chief himself in 1989, at the time of the first airing of the segment:

https://townofvaldese.com/police-department/former-chiefs/

Again, it's Topix, so please take it with a big grain of salt, but I found this today:

http://m.topix.com/forum/city/valdese-nc/TKOT99F0VSQB91958

Oscar Pascal was chief of police for the Valdese PD at the time of Rhonda's death. Steve Hoyle became chief himself in 1989, at the time of the first airing of the segment:

https://townofvaldese.com/police-department/former-chiefs/
:eek:

Again, it's Topix, so please take it with a big grain of salt, but I found this today:

http://m.topix.com/forum/city/valdese-nc/TKOT99F0VSQB91958

Oscar Pascal was chief of police for the Valdese PD at the time of Rhonda's death. Steve Hoyle became chief himself in 1989, at the time of the first airing of the segment:

https://townofvaldese.com/police-department/former-chiefs/

Sounds crazy but at the same time it makes a lot of sense.

Again, it's Topix, so please take it with a big grain of salt, but I found this today:

http://m.topix.com/forum/city/valdese-nc/TKOT99F0VSQB91958

Oscar Pascal was chief of police for the Valdese PD at the time of Rhonda's death. Steve Hoyle became chief himself in 1989, at the time of the first airing of the segment:

https://townofvaldese.com/police-department/former-chiefs/

Awhile back, I actually got a message from a resident of Valdese who heard my podcast about the case. He told me he's heard gossip around town about Rhonda and the police chief and his alleged deathbed confession for years. He never mentioned anything about Rhonda being pregnant, but you'd think that type of thing would show up on an autopsy after she died.

I should mention that my contact personally didn't believe the gossip and thinks that Rhonda's death was probably an accident, so he's probably not the same person who wrote that Topix post. But I think that post proves that those rumours are out there...

Awhile back, I actually got a message from a resident of Valdese who heard my podcast about the case. He told me he's heard gossip around town about Rhonda and the police chief and his alleged deathbed confession for years. He never mentioned anything about Rhonda being pregnant, but you'd think that type of thing would show up on an autopsy after she died.

I should mention that my contact personally didn't believe the gossip and thinks that Rhonda's death was probably an accident, so he's probably not the same person who wrote that Topix post. But I think that post proves that those rumours are out there...

Yeah. My initial thought was that if she were pregnant, that would've been discovered at autopsy and UM probably would've screamed it from the rooftops if given the chance.

I'd never heard of this particular rumor until now, but lean toward it probably being just that: a rumor. However, it certainly is a rather tidy rumor: it neatly explains almost every single one of those odd reported behaviors Rhonda was exhibiting in the months prior to her murder.

Yeah. My initial thought was that if she were pregnant, that would've been discovered at autopsy and UM probably would've screamed it from the rooftops if given the chance.

I'd never heard of this particular rumor until now, but lean toward it probably being just that: a rumor. However, it certainly is a rather tidy rumor: it neatly explains almost every single one of those odd reported behaviors Rhonda was exhibiting in the months prior to her murder.

Even if she wasn't pregnant but thought she was (or just said she was), that might lead a married man to want to take action...

She had a boyfriend at the time. How would they even know who's baby it was?

But like others have said, the autopsy would have shown right away if she were actually pregnant (unless it was performed by the guy who did Kurt Sova's).

She had a boyfriend at the time. How would they even know who's baby it was?

But like others have said, the autopsy would have shown right away if she were actually pregnant (unless it was performed by the guy who did Kurt Sova's).

Or Fahmy Malak, who did the boys on the tracks autopsy

She had a boyfriend at the time. How would they even know who's baby it was?

But like others have said, the autopsy would have shown right away if she were actually pregnant (unless it was performed by the guy who did Kurt Sova's).

I don't know that it was there. What I'm saying is that if she even implied that she was, that might explain why she was murdered (assuming it was a murder).

If she was having an affair with a married man and told him "I'm pregnant" or "I think I'm pregnant", he might very well have said "Oh s**t!" and done something about it.

She was acting strange, showed symptoms of sexual abuse, and had point blank asked her mom about dating a married man. I think if something untoward was going on, even the rumor of a pregnancy could have caused Mr. X to panic. It would explain a few things, but as MegtheEgg86 said when she posted it, consider the source.

I would think if she was pregnant as others here have said, UM would have screamed that from the rooftops. It would have just fueled the mystery angle even more, and been quite the source of scandal. I will say whomever did this killing in my opinion was very good with firearms. To basically shoot through the dark and hit with that kind of accuracy unless it was dumb luck? The witness under hypnosis had very interesting observations. Could it even have been an accident? Like someone out illegally hunting? Megtheegg didn't you take pictures in that area several years ago? What was the area like?

Evidently also, Rhonda's parents still live in the area and are now in their 70's. She had one younger brother who was in his early teens at the time of her death. Her grandmother passed away in 2010 at age 93 and her Great-Grandmother passed away in 1989 at age 94.

Did I read right, she was found outside the car? And the car rolled backwards? How does that even happen... If you made the turn you are pushing the gas to get up to speed?

She had been pulled out of the car. She was shot in the car and the car rolled back to where it was found.

I would think if she was pregnant as others here have said, UM would have screamed that from the rooftops. It would have just fueled the mystery angle even more, and been quite the source of scandal. I will say whomever did this killing in my opinion was very good with firearms. To basically shoot through the dark and hit with that kind of accuracy unless it was dumb luck? The witness under hypnosis had very interesting observations. Could it even have been an accident? Like someone out illegally hunting? Megtheegg didn't you take pictures in that area several years ago? What was the area like?

But Angela Hammond. There are things that UM has left out, whether because they are too sensitive, seemingly not relevant, or maybe because law enforcement is withholding details for investigative reasons (ie. to check against details given by suspects, etc). So who knows. IMO, we can't know what UM would have done with that info IF it were even true.

While at this point it's just speculation, I'm not sure that an autopsy would have discovered an early pregnancy (around the first month). I do think if the perpetrator was married, the fear of rumors of the affair or a pregnancy circulating in the community would have been motive enough.

But Angela Hammond. There are things that UM has left out, whether because they are too sensitive, seemingly not relevant, or maybe because law enforcement is withholding details for investigative reasons (ie. to check against details given by suspects, etc).

That's what I was thinking. I'd have been surprised that UM, given the era when the segment was filmed, would have mentioned even an established pregnancy of a unmarried woman.

I dont understand how the car and roll back when in drive. I would think it would have drove off the road to the left or to the right. Not "roll" back.

The location where it was found was on an incline. It I believe was a manual transmission vehicle as well. Meaning if the parking break wasn't on and it was in gear, yes it would stall but it would just roll back if on an incline such as that.

I think she was stopped for some reason when she was shot. Maybe someone walked in the middle of the road.

I think if she was driving she would have ended up to the left or the right forward based on the speed from leaving the stop sign and going up the hill. But if she had a manual transmission she would have put it in neutral to stop, once she was stopped it would have rolled back wards after she was shot

I think she was stopped for some reason when she was shot. Maybe someone walked in the middle of the road.

That would be the only way she would have noticed someone, if they were standing in the middle of the road and she had no choice but to stop. Driving in this exact location today is no different than 1981 because there are no street lights. You drive here at night, and you would not be able to see a person flagging you from the side of the road. The person would have to be standing in the middle of it.

I might be showing massive ignorance here, but is checking for pregnancy even part of a standard autopsy? In other words, she could have been in early pregnancy and showed no outward signs of it. Is it normal for the ME to cut open the uterus to inspect it? I thought the point was to determine cause of death and not necessarily inspect the entire body. Also, depending on how long she was pregnant, could that even been readily seen?

That may be a total red herring. But after watching the case again, she was concerned enough to want her dad to ride with her in the car. That would make sense if she feared someone was out to possibly do her harm, especially if a cop was involved.

I'm certainly not saying that's what happened or that's what I believe happened. However it would explain a few things.

I might be showing massive ignorance here, but is checking for pregnancy even part of a standard autopsy? In other words, she could have been in early pregnancy and showed no outward signs of it. Is it normal for the ME to cut open the uterus to inspect it? I thought the point was to determine cause of death and not necessarily inspect the entire body. Also, depending on how long she was pregnant, could that even been readily seen?

That may be a total red herring. But after watching the case again, she was concerned enough to want her dad to ride with her in the car. That would make sense if she feared someone was out to possibly do her harm, especially if a cop was involved.

I'm certainly not saying that's what happened or that's what I believe happened. However it would explain a few things.

hCG blood and urine tests are pretty standard for women of childbearing age in a hefty percentage of medical settings. I do definitely concede that I don't know if that's the case on the forensic side of the house, though.

So I've thought about this case all weekend and on and off at work today. I can't shake how this rumor so succinctly ties up several loose ends in this story.

Namely:

1. Two white males possibly being involved, and Pascal and Hoyle fitting that bill.

2. The man seen at Rhonda's car being described as a "dark-brown-haired guy", and provided his approximate age was appropriately represented in the reenactment, it would roughly fit Hoyle.

3. Todd mentioned it earlier: Rhonda's apparent reluctance to go into town alone--where she could potentially be approached by police officers without most bystanders suspecting anything insidious.

4. Rhonda's "married man" question. From what I gather, Hoyle was married at the time.

I am aware that the human mind loves to neatly tie up packages, so to speak, so I'm reluctant to give these ideas the force of solid theory. But I have found them interesting.

However, the way Rhonda was shot doesn't seem to be the most clever scheme in the world, especially for a couple of cops. Shooting through the trunk of a moving car--on an incline on a main road right off an interstate exit ramp, no less--and then allowing yourself to be seen by this same car in a ditch by at least one or two witnesses (and on top of it, while one of you is the freakin police chief) is a little hard for me to stomach.

Such a bizarre case.

So I've thought about this case all weekend and on and off at work today. I can't shake how this rumor so succinctly ties up several loose ends in this story.

Namely:

1. Two white males possibly being involved, and Pascal and Hoyle fitting that bill.

2. The man seen at Rhonda's car being described as a "dark-brown-haired guy", and provided his approximate age was appropriately represented in the reenactment, it would roughly fit Hoyle.

3. Todd mentioned it earlier: Rhonda's apparent reluctance to go into town alone--where she could potentially be approached by police officers without most bystanders suspecting anything insidious.

4. Rhonda's "married man" question. From what I gather, Hoyle was married at the time.

I am aware that the human mind loves to neatly tie up packages, so to speak, so I'm reluctant to give these ideas the force of solid theory. But I have found them interesting.

However, the way Rhonda was shot doesn't seem to be the most clever scheme in the world, especially for a couple of cops. Shooting through the trunk of a moving car--on an incline on a main road right off an interstate exit ramp, no less--and then allowing yourself to be seen by this same car in a ditch by at least one or two witnesses (and on top of it, while one of you is the freakin police chief) is a little hard for me to stomach.

Such a bizarre case.

The shooting at the trunk of the car was not meant to kill her. They shot at the car to get her to pull over. Now, was the motive to get her to pull over so they could abduct her and then kill her, who knows? No way they thought she would be killed in the car by that shot. They panicked once they saw that she was dead. Simple as that.

The shooting at the trunk of the car was not meant to kill her. They shot at the car to get her to pull over.

While that seems more probable than someone actually planning to kill her the way she was killed, I hesitate to give that the force of fact because we simply do not know. There isn't enough evidence available to us to conclude that this is so. The shooter could have just as easily wanted to see if he could hit the bumper of a moving car for the hell of it, or for some other reason.

While that seems more probable than someone actually planning to kill her the way she was killed, I hesitate to give that the force of fact because we simply do not know. There isn't enough evidence available to us to conclude that this is so. The shooter could have just as easily wanted to see if he could hit the bumper of a moving car for the hell of it, or for some other reason.

Being that I am a professional investigator, I'll stick with my theory. But unless any of us were actually there, only a few people know for certain.

On local theories:

If I have this sorted out correctly, a man named Dennis Moose has been a long-time suspect in Rhonda Hinson's murder. In late March 1982, he killed one person and injured another in an apparent road rage incident in which he believed the victims were driving too slow.

http://law.justia.com/cases/north-carolina/supreme-court/1984/600a82-0.html

This poster seems to think the case was bungled because the Burke Co Sheriff's Dept was allegedly fixated on Moose being the responsible party in the Hinson murder. He criticizes one investigator in particular, who seems to be the Suttles interviewed in the segment.

http://m.topix.com/forum/city/valdese-nc/TVU2GGCPUFJ793SNL

Again, not advancing a theory--just providing context for anyone who might be interested.

So I've thought about this case all weekend and on and off at work today. I can't shake how this rumor so succinctly ties up several loose ends in this story.

Namely:

1. Two white males possibly being involved, and Pascal and Hoyle fitting that bill.

2. The man seen at Rhonda's car being described as a "dark-brown-haired guy", and provided his approximate age was appropriately represented in the reenactment, it would roughly fit Hoyle.

3. Todd mentioned it earlier: Rhonda's apparent reluctance to go into town alone--where she could potentially be approached by police officers without most bystanders suspecting anything insidious.

4. Rhonda's "married man" question. From what I gather, Hoyle was married at the time.

I am aware that the human mind loves to neatly tie up packages, so to speak, so I'm reluctant to give these ideas the force of solid theory. But I have found them interesting.

However, the way Rhonda was shot doesn't seem to be the most clever scheme in the world, especially for a couple of cops. Shooting through the trunk of a moving car--on an incline on a main road right off an interstate exit ramp, no less--and then allowing yourself to be seen by this same car in a ditch by at least one or two witnesses (and on top of it, while one of you is the freakin police chief) is a little hard for me to stomach.

Such a bizarre case.
I really dont think the car was moving, I think someone or something stepped out in-front of her and she stopped and then she was shot.

I really dont think the car was moving, I think someone or something stepped out in-front of her and she stopped and then she was shot.

I thought it was pretty well concluded the round entered through the trunk. Are you saying she stopped, sped off, and was then shot, or that she was shot from the front?

I thought it was pretty well concluded the round entered through the trunk. Are you saying she stopped, sped off, and was then shot, or that she was shot from the front?


She was shot from the back, but I dont think she was "moving" I think the car was stopped. I think that is why the car rolled back and not forward to the ditch. I think she made the turn and before she could get the speed up to go up the hill someone or something stopped her, that is why I think the car rolled back. I think if she was shot going up hill the car would have drove off to the left or right not rolled back.

She was shot from the back, but I dont think she was "moving" I think the car was stopped. I think that is why the car rolled back and not forward to the ditch. I think she made the turn and before she could get the speed up to go up the hill someone or something stopped her, that is why I think the car rolled back. I think if she was shot going up hill the car would have drove off to the left or right not rolled back.

Oh ok, I think I see what you mean now.

The sticky thing about it is that the spot where the car ended up is much closer to the apex than the base of the hill.

Oh ok, I think I see what you mean now.

The sticky thing about it is that the spot where the car ended up is much closer to the apex than the base of the hill.

I can understand that, but I think with the force of motion that the car once she was shot would not stop then roll back, it would continue to go forward. This is why I feel she stopped for someone, maybe someone she knew. Once stopped another person shot her. Once shot her foot off the brake the car rolled back.

However, the way Rhonda was shot doesn't seem to be the most clever scheme in the world, especially for a couple of cops. Shooting through the trunk of a moving car--on an incline on a main road right off an interstate exit ramp, no less--and then allowing yourself to be seen by this same car in a ditch by at least one or two witnesses (and on top of it, while one of you is the freakin police chief) is a little hard for me to stomach.

That little factoid really nags at me. The guy at Rhonda's car, trying to shake her over the steering wheel, LET himself be seen. He made no attempt to hide when the trucker slowly drove by. And keep in mind, he would have seen the headlights approaching the spot where the car came to rest, giving him plenty of time to hide or take off running. But no. He remained at the side of her car, shaking her, and continued to do so as the trucker drove off.

Any killer letting himself be in full view of a witness at the scene of the crime is hard to understand. But a corrupt police chief, pulling off a murder, letting himself be seen seems even less likely IMO.

That little factoid really nags at me. The guy at Rhonda's car, trying to shake her over the steering wheel, LET himself be seen. He made no attempt to hide when the trucker slowly drove by. And keep in mind, he would have seen the headlights approaching the spot where the car came to rest, giving him plenty of time to hide or take off running. But no. He remained at the side of her car, shaking her, and continued to do so as the trucker drove off.

Any killer letting himself be in full view of a witness at the scene of the crime is hard to understand. But a corrupt police chief, pulling off a murder, letting himself be seen seems even less likely IMO.

Alternately, perhaps corrupt LE would be likely to do such a thing under the assumption that they'd be immune from scrutiny or prosecution. Kind of a 'we are the law' sort of thing.

I still personally think it all kind of reads a little too much like a John Grisham novel, but it is intriguing nonetheless.

Wow. This case is definitely frustrating. I decided to go back and rewatch this one and take some notes. Sorry if this has been brought up before.

Rhonda left her company's Christmas party at midnight. The segment says that at 12:30 a.m., she dropped her friends off before making the 10 mile drive to her house. By 1:00 a.m., she was dead. Her car was found a half a mile from her house. Meaning that she was shot very shortly before she was found. The investigators initially believed that her death was a random act of violence. According to UM, this theory shifted when her parents brought up the fact that she wouldn't drive into town without her father, the comment about seeing a married man to her mother, and the insomnia and constant showering. If Rhonda was somehow fearful of retribution for seeing a married man (as hinted in the segment), why would she be fine driving home by herself in the middle of the night? And for all we know, Rhonda could've been talking about a friend of hers when she made the married man comment to her mother. So I don't put much stock in those two instances. The insomnia and showering is definitely troubling, IMO. But then again, it really could be nothing more than her suffering from something totally unrelated to a sexual assault.

I also paid attention to the witness statements. A woman saw a blue Chevy with 2 white men sitting underneath an underpass in the general direction of where Rhonda was going to be headed home that night. The 2nd witness says that as he approached Rhonda's car, he saw a blue Chevelle speeding in the opposite direction, and then sees a black or dark blue Trans-am pulled over on the side of the road. This is the key in determining what had happened to Rhonda, IMO. First of all, I can't imagine that the guy seen taking Rhonda out of her car was anyone but her killer. I think the trans-am had to be his vehicle, because how else was he going to get out of the area? The witness who was hypnotized only saw 3 cars that night: the chevelle speeding away, Rhonda's car, and the trans-am. I think the Chevelle probably was just a red herring, and had nothing to do with the case. But what about the woman who says she saw the two men at the underpass? I think it's possible that the woman actually got the type of car wrong, and she saw the trans-am. Which would mean that when the 2nd witness drove by the scene, the other man was in the car, but the witness just didn't see him.

I can't get over the fact that Rhonda was shot by a high powered rifle through her trunk. If someone wanted her dead, why not do it at a more opportune time, like shortly after she dropped her friends of? And why risk sitting around waiting for her, with the intent to murder her, when there could be a number of things that could've screwed up the plan? What if another car was going in the same direction as Rhonda, and was in between the killer and Rhonda the entire way to Rhonda's house? What would've happened if Rhonda took a different route home that night? Not to mention how difficult it would've been to shoot a moving target with a rifle in the middle of the night. Unless the killer got off a 1 in a billion shot, I personally think it would have been too risky for this to have been a planned murder.

I still think that the most likely scenario was a random act of violence perpetuated by two drunk teenagers with their daddy's gun. Why else would it take this long to solve? Random crimes by their nature take much longer to solve. Plus, if Rhonda was the target of a hit, why would her killer not use a pistol and shoot her at a more opportune time, and make it look like a robbery? And why would the killer take the time to stop, get out of their vehicle, and remove Rhonda from her car if his intention was to murder her? I think taking her out of the car shows some sort of "compassion" (for lack of a better word), in that someone went to check on her to see what happened. When they saw that she was dead, they panicked and left. The timeline also fits with this scenario. The woman witness who saw the two men parked underneath the overpass saw them between 12:15 and 12:30, which would've put them in the general vicinity at the time of Rhonda's death. Plus, her car was found just 200 yards from where these men were seen parked. I've seen RobinW's theory about how this could've been some accident involving illegal spot hunting, but due to the close proximity to I-40 and the car parked underneath the overpass, I don't see how the car wasn't somehow involved. Plus someone illegally spot hunting isn't going to go check where their bullet went if it missed the intended target. If this person was shooting at game but missed, how would they even know that Rhonda's car was struck? And why wouldn't a hunter stick around, or go make an anonymous call to get Rhonda help?

Wow. This case is definitely frustrating. I decided to go back and rewatch this one and take some notes. Sorry if this has been brought up before.

Rhonda left her company's Christmas party at midnight. The segment says that at 12:30 a.m., she dropped her friends off before making the 10 mile drive to her house. By 1:00 a.m., she was dead. Her car was found a half a mile from her house. Meaning that she was shot very shortly before she was found. The investigators initially believed that her death was a random act of violence. According to UM, this theory shifted when her parents brought up the fact that she wouldn't drive into town without her father, the comment about seeing a married man to her mother, and the insomnia and constant showering. If Rhonda was somehow fearful of retribution for seeing a married man (as hinted in the segment), why would she be fine driving home by herself in the middle of the night? And for all we know, Rhonda could've been talking about a friend of hers when she made the married man comment to her mother. So I don't put much stock in those two instances. The insomnia and showering is definitely troubling, IMO. But then again, it really could be nothing more than her suffering from something totally unrelated to a sexual assault.

I also paid attention to the witness statements. A woman saw a blue Chevy with 2 white men sitting underneath an underpass in the general direction of where Rhonda was going to be headed home that night. The 2nd witness says that as he approached Rhonda's car, he saw a blue Chevelle speeding in the opposite direction, and then sees a black or dark blue Trans-am pulled over on the side of the road. This is the key in determining what had happened to Rhonda, IMO. First of all, I can't imagine that the guy seen taking Rhonda out of her car was anyone but her killer. I think the trans-am had to be his vehicle, because how else was he going to get out of the area? The witness who was hypnotized only saw 3 cars that night: the chevelle speeding away, Rhonda's car, and the trans-am. I think the Chevelle probably was just a red herring, and had nothing to do with the case. But what about the woman who says she saw the two men at the underpass? I think it's possible that the woman actually got the type of car wrong, and she saw the trans-am. Which would mean that when the 2nd witness drove by the scene, the other man was in the car, but the witness just didn't see him.

I can't get over the fact that Rhonda was shot by a high powered rifle through her trunk. If someone wanted her dead, why not do it at a more opportune time, like shortly after she dropped her friends of? And why risk sitting around waiting for her, with the intent to murder her, when there could be a number of things that could've screwed up the plan? What if another car was going in the same direction as Rhonda, and was in between the killer and Rhonda the entire way to Rhonda's house? What would've happened if Rhonda took a different route home that night? Not to mention how difficult it would've been to shoot a moving target with a rifle in the middle of the night. Unless the killer got off a 1 in a billion shot, I personally think it would have been too risky for this to have been a planned murder.

I still think that the most likely scenario was a random act of violence perpetuated by two drunk teenagers with their daddy's gun. Why else would it take this long to solve? Random crimes by their nature take much longer to solve. Plus, if Rhonda was the target of a hit, why would her killer not use a pistol and shoot her at a more opportune time, and make it look like a robbery? And why would the killer take the time to stop, get out of their vehicle, and remove Rhonda from her car if his intention was to murder her? I think taking her out of the car shows some sort of "compassion" (for lack of a better word), in that someone went to check on her to see what happened. When they saw that she was dead, they panicked and left. The timeline also fits with this scenario. The woman witness who saw the two men parked underneath the overpass saw them between 12:15 and 12:30, which would've put them in the general vicinity at the time of Rhonda's death. Plus, her car was found just 200 yards from where these men were seen parked. I've seen RobinW's theory about how this could've been some accident involving illegal spot hunting, but due to the close proximity to I-40 and the car parked underneath the overpass, I don't see how the car wasn't somehow involved. Plus someone illegally spot hunting isn't going to go check where their bullet went if it missed the intended target. If this person was shooting at game but missed, how would they even know that Rhonda's car was struck? And why wouldn't a hunter stick around, or go make an anonymous call to get Rhonda help?


Most of this I agree with, but I think they wanted to shoot someone. Who ever was unlucky enough to come past them at that time. I still believe One got out of the car and made her stop and the other one shot her. Now it could have been a lucky shot he might have missed his target (the back window) and it shot to low. They pulled her out of the car to make sure she was not going to make it. I see this playing out if they thought they shot to low and was not sure if they hit her or not.

Most of this I agree with, but I think they wanted to shoot someone. Who ever was unlucky enough to come past them at that time. I still believe One got out of the car and made her stop and the other one shot her. Now it could have been a lucky shot he might have missed his target (the back window) and it shot to low. They pulled her out of the car to make sure she was not going to make it. I see this playing out if they thought they shot to low and was not sure if they hit her or not.

She was found roughly 200 yards from the exit ramp. I don't know how they would've gotten her to stop, since the segment says she wouldn't have stopped for strangers. But I do think it's possible that they took the opportunity to shoot at her car when she slowed down to come off of the ramp and onto the road where she was found.

She was found roughly 200 yards from the exit ramp. I don't know how they would've gotten her to stop, since the segment says she wouldn't have stopped for strangers. But I do think it's possible that they took the opportunity to shoot at her car when she slowed down to come off of the ramp and onto the road where she was found.


If some stepped in front of her she would have stopped she was a young girl and I do not see her (running) anyone over. But if it was (teenagers) she might have known them....

Wow. This case is definitely frustrating. I decided to go back and rewatch this one and take some notes. Sorry if this has been brought up before.

Great recap, TheCars1986! This is good stuff.

You bring up a really good point: if she was scared to drive alone in the day, why would she be ok driving alone at midnight?

Something obviously troubled her, whether it was real or imagined. It may have been a married man or it could have been completely unrelated. Her behavior was odd, yet it doesn't mean it was directly tied to her death.

This is a good read, though. Thanks for posting.

Great recap, TheCars1986! This is good stuff.

You bring up a really good point: if she was scared to drive alone in the day, why would she be ok driving alone at midnight?

Something obviously troubled her, whether it was real or imagined. It may have been a married man or it could have been completely unrelated. Her behavior was odd, yet it doesn't mean it was directly tied to her death.

This is a good read, though. Thanks for posting.

THis is also the one thing I dont understand, if she was truly scared why did she not stay at her friends house that night. Unless she knew (are thought she did) that her man friend was still at the party.

I also paid attention to the witness statements. A woman saw a blue Chevy with 2 white men sitting underneath an underpass in the general direction of where Rhonda was going to be headed home that night. The 2nd witness says that as he approached Rhonda's car, he saw a blue Chevelle speeding in the opposite direction, and then sees a black or dark blue Trans-am pulled over on the side of the road. This is the key in determining what had happened to Rhonda, IMO. First of all, I can't imagine that the guy seen taking Rhonda out of her car was anyone but her killer. I think the trans-am had to be his vehicle, because how else was he going to get out of the area? The witness who was hypnotized only saw 3 cars that night: the chevelle speeding away, Rhonda's car, and the trans-am. I think the Chevelle probably was just a red herring, and had nothing to do with the case. But what about the woman who says she saw the two men at the underpass? I think it's possible that the woman actually got the type of car wrong, and she saw the trans-am. Which would mean that when the 2nd witness drove by the scene, the other man was in the car, but the witness just didn't see him.

Excellent analysis! From day one, the sighting of the Trans-am always convinced me that the killer had to be someone Rhonda did not know. This is one reason I've never believed the local gossip which apparently pervades the area about Rhonda having an affair with the police chief, and him either murdering or getting one of his officers to murder Rhonda in order to cover it up. If anybody from that police force or anyone from Rhonda's personal life had access to a dark-colored Trans-am, it should have been really easy to solve this case. Because of the location Rhonda was shot, it sounds like the Burke County Sheriff's Office investigated the murder, not the Valdese Police Department, so it would have been difficult for them to orchestrate a cover-up if they were involved. This is why I think Rhonda's killer was a stranger with zero connection to her who may not have even been from the area, and had no intention of shooting her.

If the murder truly did not know her, he could not have got a more lucky brake then to kill someone who already has set a track to make it look like someone was out to get her.
Think about it, he picked the one person in the middle of the night by chance that was acting like someone was out to get her and here he comes a long and kills her and from the start the police are looking in the wrong direction....

Excellent analysis! From day one, the sighting of the Trans-am always convinced me that the killer had to be someone Rhonda did not know. This is one reason I've never believed the local gossip which apparently pervades the area about Rhonda having an affair with the police chief, and him either murdering or getting one of his officers to murder Rhonda in order to cover it up. If anybody from that police force or anyone from Rhonda's personal life had access to a dark-colored Trans-am, it should have been really easy to solve this case. Because of the location Rhonda was shot, it sounds like the Burke County Sheriff's Office investigated the murder, not the Valdese Police Department, so it would have been difficult for them to orchestrate a cover-up if they were involved. This is why I think Rhonda's killer was a stranger with zero connection to her who may not have even been from the area, and had no intention of shooting her.

Yep. I can envision a scenario where 2 guys under the underpass shoot the rifle either inadvertently in the direction of Rhonda's car (trying to shoot at a sign or something), or in some sort of attempt to scare her and they hit her and her car pulls over to the side of the road and stops. They freak out and go up to check on her. This is where the 2nd witness's story begins and where he sees the man removing Rhonda from the car.

I, personally, believe same as you that Rhonda was killed by a couple of young, drunk idiots who took a shot at her car intending to scare whoever was driving and "got lucky" and hit her.

But, I have a few points to make regarding this paragraph of your analysis.

I can't get over the fact that Rhonda was shot by a high powered rifle through her trunk. If someone wanted her dead, why not do it at a more opportune time, like shortly after she dropped her friends of?

You assume that the person looking to kill her knew she would be dropping her friends off. If it was a planned murder, I think they would've known she was going out that night, but not that she'd be dropping friends off on the way home. Waiting near her house would've been the smart play as you know she has to come home eventually. If it was an arranged hit, then they might have even gotten a tip-off when she was leaving the party so that they could limit the time window they'd have to spend waiting.

And why risk sitting around waiting for her, with the intent to murder her, when there could be a number of things that could've screwed up the plan? What if another car was going in the same direction as Rhonda, and was in between the killer and Rhonda the entire way to Rhonda's house? What would've happened if Rhonda took a different route home that night?

We're talking about a rural area late at night. There wouldn't have been many cars around at that time so it probably was a very low risk of running into the scenarios you mention. Also, given that she lived in a rural area, there was probably one particular route that made sense for her to drive on the way home. I grew up in the country. There were exactly two directions to approach my home from. Which route I took would have been very easy to determine based on where I had been.

Not to mention how difficult it would've been to shoot a moving target with a rifle in the middle of the night. Unless the killer got off a 1 in a billion shot, I personally think it would have been too risky for this to have been a planned murder.

This is the one point I can't refute. The only argument to this one is, if this was a planned murder, the rifle shot was to drive her off the road, not kill her. There just aren't that many people who could rely on their ability to make a shot like that. But I don't think that holds water.

As I said, I think a couple of idiots took a potshot at a car and accidentally killed Rhonda. I think they (or at least one of them) went to the car to check on her and found her dead. I think they then panicked and took off and probably never spoke about it again. I'd like to think that they still fee guilty about it from time to time.

You assume that the person looking to kill her knew she would be dropping her friends off. If it was a planned murder, I think they would've known she was going out that night, but not that she'd be dropping friends off on the way home. Waiting near her house would've been the smart play as you know she has to come home eventually. If it was an arranged hit, then they might have even gotten a tip-off when she was leaving the party so that they could limit the time window they'd have to spend waiting.

They most likely would've known about the party and her coming home, but my point was that there was an infinite number of variables that could've happened that night that would have altered the plans. What if she got a flat tire? What if she took a different route home? What if another car was behind her when she got on the road to her house?

We're talking about a rural area late at night. There wouldn't have been many cars around at that time so it probably was a very low risk of running into the scenarios you mention. Also, given that she lived in a rural area, there was probably one particular route that made sense for her to drive on the way home. I grew up in the country. There were exactly two directions to approach my home from. Which route I took would have been very easy to determine based on where I had been.

Yes the area was rural, but it was still right off of an exit ramp on a major highway. Just look at how quickly it was reported that Rhonda was dead. It was within a 10-15 minute interval. Plus the witness reported seeing a Chevelle driving in the opposite direction as well as the trans-am. So there were other cars out there that night.

As I said, I think a couple of idiots took a potshot at a car and accidentally killed Rhonda. I think they (or at least one of them) went to the car to check on her and found her dead. I think they then panicked and took off and probably never spoke about it again. I'd like to think that they still fee guilty about it from time to time.

Agreed.

One thing about teenagers, they talk... I cant help but think if it was them it would have gotten out.. Would the witness not said, it looked like a teenager or a kid by her car?

If someone was out to kill her, this might not been the first time she was followed. This might have been the first time she was alone for them to try to scare her / kill her... If you are a professional you dont rush the job you wait for the right time..

I do agree this could have been (trying to scare her) and it ended up killing her.

How come in a area like that they could not find the Trans-am? I would think there could not have been that many...

You assume that the person looking to kill her knew she would be dropping her friends off. If it was a planned murder, I think they would've known she was going out that night, but not that she'd be dropping friends off on the way home. Waiting near her house would've been the smart play as you know she has to come home eventually. If it was an arranged hit, then they might have even gotten a tip-off when she was leaving the party so that they could limit the time window they'd have to spend waiting.

Just popping in here to say that I've thought about this before and have come to the same conclusion if we're going to entertain the "hit" theory.

We're talking about a rural area late at night. There wouldn't have been many cars around at that time so it probably was a very low risk of running into the scenarios you mention. Also, given that she lived in a rural area, there was probably one particular route that made sense for her to drive on the way home. I grew up in the country. There were exactly two directions to approach my home from. Which route I took would have been very easy to determine based on where I had been.

Mineral Springs Mountain Rd is definitely a main thoroughfare into town from the interstate. Her house is roughly half a mile from the exit ramp going toward Valdese, just tucked into a subdivision. If she was coming west from Hickory on the interstate, this route was almost certainly the most likely one she would have taken as it's the straightest shot to her home, so to speak.

She was found roughly 200 yards from the exit ramp. I don't know how they would've gotten her to stop, since the segment says she wouldn't have stopped for strangers. But I do think it's possible that they took the opportunity to shoot at her car when she slowed down to come off of the ramp and onto the road where she was found.

Yes. I don't think she was stopped. The orientation of Rhonda's car indicates that she was not shot right as she turned north and was poised to begin climbing the hill. She was nearly at the top of that hill when the round entered the back of her car and passed through her body. I don't understand why someone would stop her over midway up the incline while another individual fired at her from the back, with his accomplice potentially in the line of fire.

If she was a target, they could have been following her for some time. There also could have been missed opportunities we will never know about

I still think that the most likely scenario was a random act of violence perpetuated by two drunk teenagers with their daddy's gun. Why else would it take this long to solve? Random crimes by their nature take much longer to solve. Plus, if Rhonda was the target of a hit, why would her killer not use a pistol and shoot her at a more opportune time, and make it look like a robbery? And why would the killer take the time to stop, get out of their vehicle, and remove Rhonda from her car if his intention was to murder her? I think taking her out of the car shows some sort of "compassion" (for lack of a better word), in that someone went to check on her to see what happened. When they saw that she was dead, they panicked and left. The timeline also fits with this scenario. The woman witness who saw the two men parked underneath the overpass saw them between 12:15 and 12:30, which would've put them in the general vicinity at the time of Rhonda's death. Plus, her car was found just 200 yards from where these men were seen parked. I've seen RobinW's theory about how this could've been some accident involving illegal spot hunting, but due to the close proximity to I-40 and the car parked underneath the overpass, I don't see how the car wasn't somehow involved. Plus someone illegally spot hunting isn't going to go check where their bullet went if it missed the intended target. If this person was shooting at game but missed, how would they even know that Rhonda's car was struck? And why wouldn't a hunter stick around, or go make an anonymous call to get Rhonda help?


Just watched this one again. I'm pretty sure in an earlier post I entertained a conspiracy theory or two, but now, I'll lean towards the simplest explanation that TheCars1986 posted.

As to the rumors presented in one of those Topix links (involving the area police chief) - if you have not one, but two police officers involved in orchestrating a murder, I'd like to think that at least one of them would be a bit smarter in how the act is carried out (unless both happen to be Greg Webb-types).

Her behavior does suggest that she could've been assaulted or been going through some sort of mental/emotional trauma - but I don't think anymore, this had any bearing on why she was killed.

Hi all.
Thought I would chime in on the post since I live in Valdese and have all my life. Was only 9 years old when Rhonda was killed. For whatever reason the rumors still swirl around here about a police officer being involved any time the case is brought up.
There would have only been 2 ways she could have came home from Hickory that night (Hwy 70 or interstate 40 which would have been quickest route).
That stretch of road in 1988 when I first got my driver's license was always very densly traveled late at night with very little street lighting to boot so I can only imagine it being the same in 1981 so it would have been a perfect area for someone waiting on her.
Me and a friend of mine were talking about her murder last night. Both her parents still live in Valdese at the same house. He was telling me they had kept her room exactly the way Rhonda had left it. Very sad and my prayers go out to her parents that police can solve it and bring closure to them.

Hi all.
Thought I would chime in on the post since I live in Valdese and have all my life. Was only 9 years old when Rhonda was killed. For whatever reason the rumors still swirl around here about a police officer being involved any time the case is brought up.
There would have only been 2 ways she could have came home from Hickory that night (Hwy 70 or interstate 40 which would have been quickest route).
That stretch of road in 1988 when I first got my driver's license was always very densly traveled late at night with very little street lighting to boot so I can only imagine it being the same in 1981 so it would have been a perfect area for someone waiting on her.
Me and a friend of mine were talking about her murder last night. Both her parents still live in Valdese at the same house. He was telling me they had kept her room exactly the way Rhonda had left it. Very sad and my prayers go out to her parents that police can solve it and bring closure to them.

Thanks for posting! It's always nice to hear from someone in the area where this took place and someone that is familiar with it. Would love if you could do some location scouting and take some actual photos of the locations...I have only seen streetview captures.

We just had a snow storm come thru so it would be afterwards. Can tell you the area hasn't changed since Megtheegg86 posted those pics except for more traffic.

Anybody else find her mothers deadpan comment about Rhonda always wanting to do what pleased us unnerving/odd?

We just had a snow storm come thru so it would be afterwards. Can tell you the area hasn't changed since Megtheegg86 posted those pics except for more traffic.

Thanks. Yes, that's right, I forgot she had posted those images. I was able to find the home on streetview and the "shot" of the window that Rhonda would stare out of.

Hi all.
Thought I would chime in on the post since I live in Valdese and have all my life. Was only 9 years old when Rhonda was killed. For whatever reason the rumors still swirl around here about a police officer being involved any time the case is brought up.
There would have only been 2 ways she could have came home from Hickory that night (Hwy 70 or interstate 40 which would have been quickest route).
That stretch of road in 1988 when I first got my driver's license was always very densly traveled late at night with very little street lighting to boot so I can only imagine it being the same in 1981 so it would have been a perfect area for someone waiting on her.
Me and a friend of mine were talking about her murder last night. Both her parents still live in Valdese at the same house. He was telling me they had kept her room exactly the way Rhonda had left it. Very sad and my prayers go out to her parents that police can solve it and bring closure to them.

Welcome to the boards and thanks for posting! :wave:

It's always nice to hear from folks who know some of the individuals involved. I certainly hope Rhonda's parents get closure one day...

Anybody else find her mothers deadpan comment about Rhonda always wanting to do what pleased us unnerving/odd?

YES!! Cynthia Anderson's father said something similar. I think it was along the lines of what an obedient girl she had always been. In both segments, I found it very unnerving.

We’re just a few weeks away from the 41st anniversary of Rhonda’s murder. Greg McDowell and his father still give me horrible vibes as the majority of their behavior immediately following the murder doesn’t make much sense. I’m still hoping we’ll hear about more developments.

As for Rhonda’s mother, her statement about Rhonda wanting to please her parents didn’t unnerve me at all. I took that as her wanting their approval and to make them happy. Nothing wrong with that.