Decade-long mystery ends: Man convicted in Franklin County woman’s disappearance case

Franklin County, Virginia – In recent legal developments, prosecutor Bryan Haskins confirmed that Paul Jordan has been found guilty of second-degree murder and concealing a body by a jury, as per reports.

Jordan had been in a relationship with Heather Hodges, a woman from Franklin County who mysteriously disappeared in 2012.

Earlier this year, in April, Jordan was indicted on several charges, inclusive of second-degree murder and the concealment of a body. Heather Hodges had vanished from her Shady Lane residence in Rocky Mount back in April 2012. At that time, she was 22 years old and was a mother to a two-year-old girl, the daughter she shared with Jordan.

Hodges’ sister, who testified at the trial that commenced earlier this week, revealed that Heather and Jordan had become a couple when Heather was just 12 and Jordan was approximately 12 years her senior. When Heather disappeared, she was cohabiting with Jordan, who reported her missing two days subsequent to her last known sighting.

Since the initial stages of the investigation, authorities had identified Jordan as the primary person of interest, leading to his arrest on unrelated charges in July 2017. Further investigation unveiled additional evidence linking Jordan to Heather’s disappearance and suspected demise. Heather’s body, however, remains undiscovered to this day.

The trial began following the completion of jury selection on Tuesday morning. Both the prosecution and the defense outlined their cases during the opening arguments, sharing what the jury could anticipate from their evidence and witnesses.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Haskins, from Pittsylvania County, intimated that the jurors will learn of a tumultuous relationship marked by a significant degree of domestic violence around the time of Heather’s disappearance. He presented DNA evidence indicating the presence of Heather’s blood in their shared residence at the time of her disappearance. The defense attorney, however, noted that DNA testing had also eliminated Jordan’s DNA from the blood found at the scene.

Several witnesses were called upon by the prosecution, painting a picture of the relationship between Hodges and Jordan during the period surrounding her disappearance. Many witnesses testified to the abusive nature of the relationship, with some suggesting it was mutually abusive.

Heather’s sister, Crystal Saunder, and a friend of Heather’s who had also known Jordan for many years, gave particularly impactful testimonies about the violence they had witnessed. Another witness, who had cohabitated with the couple, was asked if she had noticed any bruises or marks on either party, to which she affirmed that both had them.

The sentencing is slated for August 22, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.