The unsolved murder of Rhonda Hinson

[JM]

I'm coming in hot here on this. The more I've learned about this case over the years I'm convinced that law enforcement knows who did this. However, they lack the evidence to formally bring charges against that person.

This is one of the earliest UM segments I recall seeing as it originally aired. And, like so many UM segments (then and now), crucial details were left out to make it way more ambivalent and nuanced to the viewer. UM did a lot of good work, however there are a good amount of cases where they did a disservice to the victims and the victims advocates and family.

Rhonda's ex-boyfriend is really the prime and only suspect. Just because he has never been charged with her murder doesn't mean he isn't, in reality, responsible.

He owned the same type of car that was seen leaving the area moments after the murder would have happened. He matched the physical description of the person that was seen speeding away from the area, as well. His only alibi is that he was home with his parents. He had been physically and verbally abusive towards Rhonda.

This case should have been solved in 1981. Instead, because of the lack of intestinal fortitude of a certain individual (or two) that called themselves Rhonda's friends, they have chosen to remain silent. That's really sad because Rhonda's parents and sibling have lived with this grief stricken milieu for 43 years. Meanwhile, Rhonda's murderer is still very much living his life and seems like he will be allowed to continue to do so unless Rhonda's "friend" grows a pair and tells the cops what he knows.

This was not an accident. This was not some stranger murder. There is no mystery.

Rhonda Hinson was murdered by someone she had trusted and once loved. Someone that could not handle the thought of not having her in his life anymore.

The only consolation is that I hope that person walks around every single solitary day wondering if the person he is bumping into knows who he is and what he did some 43 years ago. That "personal prison" is likely the only incarceration he will ever have on this earth. And, that's pathetic.

[TheCars1986]

This article was written back in March and has this interesting tidbit:

Judy Hinson believes her daughter’s death should have been solved the night she was killed.

“I don’t think anyone has ever really worked the case like they should,” she said. “I think if Larry Griffin had been a police officer, the case would have been solved a long time ago.”

Griffin, who is originally from Burke County, has been writing about Rhonda’s murder since 2019. He’s developed a thorough storyline and a theory about what he believes happened based on documents given to him by a former investigator who has since passed away. Some current and former law enforcement officers have told WBTV they disagree with him.

Griffin shared one of those documents with WBTV -- a 1995 report written by former Burke County Sheriff’s Office investigator Gene Franklin. In the report, Franklin said, “Due to negligent mishandling of physical evidence in this case, further investigation would be futile, nonproductive, and a waste of good investigative time.”

I wonder what the working theory is for these officers who disagree with Larry Griffin's theory (Greg McDowell killed Rhonda after she broke up with him). It's also sad that evidence is either missing or has been lost over the years, making this case borderline unsolvable (without a confession).

[MegtheEgg86]

I've been reading the Griffin articles ever since he started the series. I too am convinced Greg McDowell murdered Rhonda, and I think the people who were close to the couple at the time are simply more comfortable with convincing themselves Greg couldn't have done it, hence the bobbing and weaving around law enforcement questions over the past four decades. I don't think Mark Turner is lying about anything willfully; I think his own mind just won't let him go there.

The bigger question for me is why law enforcement has historically seemed very lukewarm around the idea of applying any real pressure on the McDowells. However, as a southerner myself, I have to imagine it's that rather annoying southern tendency toward assuming a Christian minister and his family couldn't have been caught up in anything untoward, much less the cold-blooded murder of a beloved teenage girl. Especially in the rural mountain south in the early 1980s.

[dynoguy88]

That series of articles answered every question I ever had about this case after viewing the UM segment. I naively thought 6 years ago that this would be the catalyst to getting it solved.

I understand not wanting to believe a pastor would cover for his son MURDERING someone but police are supposed to take feelings out and work with the facts at hand....cover ALL your bases. Them making no attempt to interview Mark Turner for over 15 years just shows me that they probably didn't care to solve the case.

[dynoguy88]

I thought this was interesting. About a year ago, the writer of those series of articles mentioned that he had reached out to Greg McDowell for comment about the series. Somewhere along the way, Greg made Rhonda's picture his profile picture on his cell phone.

[tvscript124]

Originally Posted by dynoguy88

I thought this was interesting. About a year ago, the writer of those series of articles mentioned that he had reached out to Greg McDowell for comment about the series. Somewhere along the way, Greg made Rhonda's picture his profile picture on his cell phone.

I am tempted to say indelicate things here about such a subhuman as Greg McDowell.

[TheCars1986]

What's never made any sense to me is Mark Turner, Greg McDowell's friend, and his selective amnesia about when he gave Rhonda's jacket back to Greg, because according to Mark's girlfriend at the time, when he dropped her off on the morning that Rhonda was killed, Rhonda's jacket was in the backseat of Mark's car. Mark told her he would give it to Greg the next time he saw him. Since Rhonda was killed roughly twenty minutes after Mark dropped his girlfriend off, this means he had to have encountered Greg shortly after dropping off his girlfriend. But why wouldn't he tell the cops this, if he simply saw Greg on the side of the road, made some small chit chat and gave him Rhonda's jacket before driving back home? I do not think Mark had anything to do with Rhonda's death, but am baffled as to why he cannot remember when he gave Greg the jacket back.

[dynoguy88]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

What's never made any sense to me is Mark Turner, Greg McDowell's friend, and his selective amnesia about when he gave Rhonda's jacket back to Greg, because according to Mark's girlfriend at the time, when he dropped her off on the morning that Rhonda was killed, Rhonda's jacket was in the backseat of Mark's car. Mark told her he would give it to Greg the next time he saw him. Since Rhonda was killed roughly twenty minutes after Mark dropped his girlfriend off, this means he had to have encountered Greg shortly after dropping off his girlfriend. But why wouldn't he tell the cops this, if he simply saw Greg on the side of the road, made some small chit chat and gave him Rhonda's jacket before driving back home? I do not think Mark had anything to do with Rhonda's death, but am baffled as to why he cannot remember when he gave Greg the jacket back.

He remembers giving it to Greg. (In my humble opinion). I think Greg essentially told Mark the truth. He didn't INTEND to kill Rhonda. He wanted to scare her by shooting the gun during their argument. But he ended up striking her, which killed her. Since he didn't MEAN to kill her, Mark decided to help Greg keep his secret. He was just extremely fortunate that the Valdese Police were so inept that they waited a full 15 years before even trying to interview him.

I listened to the 5-episode series of the Southern Un-Hospitality True Crime Podcast, which covered this case. So many people are interviewed, including Judy Hinson and Jill Turner. Jill talks about the immediate aftermath of the murder, mentioning how she was sobbing to both Greg and Mark and she was completely dumbfounded that neither boy was even acting upset. Just quiet and almost annoyed that they even had to discuss it. This was a major reason Jill broke up with Mark two days later. At the time, she had convinced herself that neither of them having any reaction was just a "boy thing," but she obviously feels different about that now.

It's not actual justice but I do take some comfort knowing that 45 years later, everyone in that area knows Greg is the killer. And Greg knows they know. But him using Rhonda's prom picture as his cell phone profile photo just shows arrogance that he got away with it...so...there's that too.

[mozartpc27]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

https://thewilkesrecord.com/rhonda-h...-p3556-149.htm

https://thewilkesrecord.com/hinson-k...-p3579-149.htm

https://thewilkesrecord.com/the-kill...-p3611-149.htm

https://thewilkesrecord.com/hinson-c...-p3979-149.htm

https://thewilkesrecord.com/the-kill...-p5097-149.htm

I've lost count on how many "The Killing of Rhonda Hinson" installments there was, but Larry J. Griffin is doing excellent work at keeping this case alive for the last 3 years or so. There is zero doubt in my mind that Greg McDowell murdered her and this is what happened to Rhonda:

After leaving her company Christmas party, she went over to a friend and coworkers house named Sherry Pittman. She called her soon to be ex-boyfriend Greg from this residence at around midnight. Sherry and Sherry's mother Birdell both overheard Rhonda arguing with Greg over the phone. They also heard her tell him that she was leaving the Pittman residence. After the phone call, she went to the bathroom and emerged crying. She told them that she was breaking up with Greg. Rhonda left the Pittman residence at 12:20 a.m. and was due to make the 20 minute drive back to her house. Several eyewitnesses recall hearing a shot ring out at 12:55 a.m.

IMO, Rhonda agreed to meet up with Greg that night to finally once and for all break up. They argued, and as Rhonda attempted to drive away, Greg fired a rifle into the back of Rhonda's car, fatally striking her. Both his father and his mother helped lie for him about Greg receiving a phone call from Rhonda at 12:30 a.m. on the night she was killed. There were 3 items found in Rhonda's car which, IMO, conclusively link Greg to the murder:

-A grey hooded sweatshirt which belonged to Rhonda, which was observed by Rhonda's best friend Jill Turner-Mull in the backseat of her boyfriend's (Mark Turner) car at 12:25 a.m. on the night of Rhonda's murder. Jill asked Mark if he wanted her to give the sweatshirt back to Rhonda, and Mark said he would just give the sweatshirt back to Greg when he saw him. This sweatshirt was found on the sundeck of Rhonda's car.

-Rhonda's East Burke letter jacket was found in her backseat. She specifically told her mother that morning that Greg was in possession of this jacket.

-A stuffed pink snake was also found in the backseat. Evidently the snake was some sort of souvenir from a trip that Greg and Rhonda had taken to Myrtle Beach. Rhonda had given it to Greg. Greg told detectives that he always kept this on his dresser in his bedroom. But it was found in Rhonda's car on the night of her murder.

Also of note, the eyewitness who was hypnotized and featured on Unsolved Mysteries was a man by the name of Reggie Smart. Reggie had told investigators that he saw a blue Chevy with the front end being "messed up" speeding away from the scene as well as a dark blue Trans-Am as well as a small blue Toyota (not mentioned on UM) parked down the road from Rhonda's vehicle. He also saw a man, 5'10" - 6', with "sort of dark brown hair" standing at the driver's side door of Rhonda's vehicle. By 1:00 a.m., just 5 minutes after several witnesses heard the gunshot, there were 5 people present at the crime scene: Mark Micol, Tim Pons, Todd Garrou, Jerry Baker, and Brent Smith. Mark Micol owned a dark blue Trans-Am. Tim Pons was driving with Mark Micol. Todd Garrou owned a small blue Toyota pickup truck, and Jerry Baker and Brent Smith were passengers in the truck. Todd Garrou recounted to investigators that he and Brent Smith were too scared to get out of their vehicle, but Jerry Baker did and went and conversed with Mark Micol and Tim Pons. IMO, Reggie Smart saw either Mark Micol or Tim Pons outside of Rhonda's car that night, and the damaged blue Chevy he saw speeding away was being driven by Greg McDowell. A coworker of Rhonda's remembered Greg coming to pick her up for lunch on the 22nd and remembered seeing damage to the front end of the driver's side of his car. A blue Chevy Nova was registered in Greg's father's name at the time of Rhonda's murder.

Much as I would like to see Rhonda's killer brought to justice, if this the sum total of all there is againt him, I can see why McDowell has never been arrested. No weapon, no admitted witness, no direct physical evidence, nothing to really corroborate substantively the story that McDowell is the killer. Even though I agree he very likely is.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

Much as I would like to see Rhonda's killer brought to justice, if this the sum total of all there is againt him, I can see why McDowell has never been arrested. No weapon, no admitted witness, no direct physical evidence, nothing to really corroborate substantively the story that McDowell is the killer. Even though I agree he very likely is.

I also think the bit about the "mysterious man" seen near Rhonda's car that night would be used by a good defense attorney as "the real killer". But I think that person was one of the 5 men who pulled up to the crime scene that night.