Rhonda Hinson - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

klavkhalash · 03-06-2009, 12:09 PM

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?

justins5256 · 03-06-2009, 12:24 PM

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

UMfan77 · 03-06-2009, 12:43 PM

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.

TracyLynnS · 03-06-2009, 02:21 PM

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.

Obi Wan · 03-07-2009, 01:28 PM

There is an older thread on this case.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...=rhonda+hinson

MegtheEgg86 · 03-07-2009, 03:01 PM

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.

MegtheEgg86 · 03-08-2009, 06:01 PM

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/...d.php?t=166193

MegtheEgg86 · 03-10-2009, 01:19 PM

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.

UMfan77 · 03-10-2009, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

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.

MegtheEgg86 · 03-10-2009, 02:10 PM

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.

UMfan77 · 03-10-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

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.

MegtheEgg86 · 03-10-2009, 02:42 PM

Thanks!

hostedbyrobertstack · 03-10-2009, 09:12 PM

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.

UMfan77 · 03-11-2009, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hostedbyrobertstack

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.

MegtheEgg86 · 03-13-2009, 09:38 PM

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:
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Exit 112 ramp. Rhonda made a right at the yield sign onto Mineral Springs Mountain Road:
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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:
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03-06-2009, 12:09 PM	#1
klavkhalash Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 03, 2009 Posts: 15	Rhonda Hinson 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?

03-07-2009, 01:28 PM	#5
Obi Wan Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 30, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 65	There is an older thread on this case. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...=rhonda+hinson
	__________________ UM Fan Forever

03-07-2009, 03:01 PM	#6
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	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.
	__________________ "Why is she lying?, it makes me wonder. What is she hiding?, it makes me wonder." Go Vols!

03-13-2009, 09:38 PM	#15
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	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: Exit 112 ramp. Rhonda made a right at the yield sign onto Mineral Springs Mountain Road: 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: More in a minute. Attached Images
	Last edited by MegtheEgg86; 03-13-2009 at 11:20 PM.

03-06-2009, 12:24 PM	#2
justins5256 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 08, 2002 Posts: 3,866	I'm sure if she was pregnant they would have been able to tell when an autopsy was performed.

03-06-2009, 12:43 PM	#3
UMfan77 Member Senior Member Join Date: Nov 28, 2003 Posts: 1,064	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.

03-06-2009, 02:21 PM	#4
TracyLynnS Don't Look Up Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 07, 2009 Posts: 3,107	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.

03-08-2009, 06:01 PM	#7
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	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/...d.php?t=166193

03-10-2009, 01:19 PM	#8
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	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.

03-10-2009, 02:10 PM	#10
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	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.

03-10-2009, 02:42 PM	#12
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	Thanks!

03-10-2009, 09:12 PM	#13
hostedbyrobertstack Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 23, 2007 Location: OH Posts: 436	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.