Ronald and Frederick Hudler Murders: The place is Frederick Phillip Hammer Now?

A triple murder at a secluded home in Grayson County, Virginia, shocked the local people. The victims have been Ronald Hudler and his son, Frederick, together with an worker of theirs, John Miller. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Stranger Amongst Us: Horror on the Homestead’ chronicles how the authorities solved the botched theft and finally arrested the killer. So, if you happen to’re curious in regards to the occasions surrounding this triple homicide, we’ve acquired you lined.

How Did Ronald and Frederick Hudler Die?

Ronald was a retired enterprise government who started the second section in his life as a profitable businessman. The 74-year-old ran the Hudler Carolina Tree Farms, a wildly profitable enterprise, alongside together with his three sons. Other than working together with his dad, Frederick was additionally a fishing information who loved teaching his sons’ sports activities groups. On the day of the incident, Frederick had been working with 25-year-old John Miller on the tree farm.

After caring for just a few issues, 44-year-old Frederick and John headed to Ronald’s home, not realizing what horror awaited them there. At round 11:53 AM on January 24, 2008, Ron’s different son, Invoice, known as 911 to report two lifeless our bodies. Frederick was mendacity on the driveway with a gunshot wound to the top whereas Ron was lifeless from the same damage inside the home. The authorities later discovered John within the storage; he was shot twice in his temple.

Who Killed Ronald and Frederick Hudler?

The authorities observed shell casings on the scene and a secure within the storage open and moved misplaced. Whereas many of the weapons inside have been nonetheless there, about $10,000 was lacking. They surmised that Frederick and John interrupted a housebreaking in progress and have been fatally shot for it. Ronald, who was again house early from a enterprise journey, was killed when he got here out to verify what the commotion was about.

It was identified to many individuals that Ronald saved a big amount of cash in the home, which meant that the suspect pool might have been large. However by the investigation, they got here throughout somebody who used to work for Ronald Hudler: Frederick Phillip Hammer. The authorities discovered that he did some development work for Ronald and had a firewood enterprise.

Hammer additionally had a questionable previous. As a teen, he was convicted of killing an off-duty police officer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1978 earlier than being acquitted just a few years later. After that, Hammer moved to North Carolina to flee his previous. The police discovered that he requested round concerning Ronald and had identified about his enterprise journey. Hammer was questioned on the night time of the homicide however denied having something to do with the crime. He claimed to have been on a development job about 30 miles from the crime scene when the murders befell.

Nevertheless, Hammer’s alibi started to collapse when a witness claimed to have seen him close to the Hudler farm shortly after 9 AM on January 24. Quickly, Hammer was arrested in Florida, the place he fled after the interview. Whereas in jail, he implicated himself within the killings in conversations with an inmate. Hammer advised a fellow inmate about burying the $10,000 in a campground in Cripple Creek, Virginia. He added the homicide weapon was in the identical space.

Hammer provided the inmate $2000 if he removed the rifle. Seemingly agreeing to the deal, this inmate wrote a letter to his girlfriend, alluding to getting cash after being launched. Whereas he threw the letter away, the correctional officers discovered it and questioned him. So, the inmate advised them about Hammer’s provide. In Might 2009, the authorities went to the campground and located a bag full of cash, cigar packing containers with rolled cash, and a .22-magnum rifle that was the homicide weapon.

The place is Frederick Phillip Hammer Now?

The authorities confirmed that the rifle’s damaged scope matched the particles discovered at Ron’s door. Moreover, paint chips from Hammer’s hand truck have been in keeping with the paint discovered on the secure. Two witnesses from a retailer in Elk Creek, Virginia, noticed him fueling up on the street from Cripple Creek again to North Carolina on January 24. In Might 2009, confronted with ample proof pointing to his guilt, Hammer determined to keep away from the dying penalty by making a deal.

Then 49, Hammer pleaded responsible to 5 counts of capital homicide and one rely every of theft, breaking and coming into, and some different fees. He acquired seven life sentences, of which 5 have been to run consecutively, along with 23 years in jail. Afterward, Hammer confessed to killing Jimmy Blevins, his nephew, who had been lacking since 2007. He led the authorities to his physique and was convicted for the homicide in 2010.

Hammer additionally claimed duty for 2 different murders: Timothy Shatley was killed in 2005 and Julie Lovette had been lacking since 2001. At one level, Hammer told an inmate that he was accountable for killing 17 folks. Nevertheless, the authorities have expressed doubt concerning the veracity of his claims. Jail data point out that he stays incarcerated on the Purple Onion State Jail in Pound, Virginia.

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Source: Cinemaholic