(WKBN) – Police say one way a wanted man is eluding police is that he enlists the help of people he connects with on dating apps.
Police in North Carolina are looking for 50-year-old Donald Ray Hodges. He also goes by the names Tyrone Evans and Unique Hodges.
Hodges is accused of murdering his wife, Brenda Bender, in Conover, North Carolina in 2022. He has been charged with first-degree murder. He hasn’t been seen since the murder, and police say he has ties to Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina.
Hodges is known to befriend and use people to obtain money to help him avoid capture. Investigators say they believe he may be meeting both men and women through dating apps and moving in with them until he overstays his welcome. Then he moves on to the next person.
He has a lengthy criminal history including robbery, assault and weapons charges. He should be considered armed and dangerous.
Hodges is described by police as a black male, standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 273 pounds with a muscular build. He is bald, has brown eyes, and usually has a beard. Hodges has multiple tattoos on his chest and arms, to include an “OG” on his chest, a dog on his right shoulder, “TNT Hardcore” on his left shoulder and “Love Shirley Nancy,” as well as a Masonic symbol on his left arm.