‘Keep praying that we get him’: Mom desperate for arrest of daughter’s alleged killer

CONOVER, N.C. — For more than six months, police and federal marshals have been looking for a man in connection to a high-profile murder case in Catawba County.

Donald Hodges is accused of murdering his wife at their home in Conover last May. Now, federal marshals have declared this a major case and have doubled the reward to $10,000.

On Tuesday, Diane Bender showed Channel 9′s Dave Faherty photos of her daughter, Tenikia Hodges.

Bender said she had gone to Tenikia’s home in Conover after Tenikia didn’t show up for work. Bender said she found her shot and killed in her bedroom.

For six months now, both police and federal marshals have been looking for Tenikia’s husband, 49-year old Donald Hodges.

On Monday, the investigation was designated a U.S. Marshals major case. Marshals say Hodges has connections to North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New York and could be living with family or friends.

Bender had strong words for Donald Hodges.

“It hurts me, for what you did to my daughter,” she said. “And everybody is asking me questions. I don’t even have no answers. Only thing I can do is keep praying that we get him.”

On top of the $10,000 from the feds, the family has raised an additional $5,000 hoping police make an arrest soon.

>> In the video at the top of the page, Bender speaks to Faherty about the months since her daughter’s death, and her fight for justice.

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Family offers $5K reward for arrest of man accused of murdering wife in Conover

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