The Girl in the Leaves Page 12

  Mark M contacted authorities and said, “Across the street from a rental equipment company is a white barn. Behind that are four-wheel trails. Matthew and I used to go back there and hang out. We were back there all the time.”

  Another person got in contact with an officer and related, “Check trees for evidence. Matt talked about living in trees. He always carried ropes and a chain saw in his trunk.”

  Some of the tips were coming in from much farther afield than the local community. Ron F of Chicago claimed to have spotted the two missing women and boy in Chicago. Stanley O of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sure he’d spotted the women and boy at a Raceway Gas Station there.

  Another strange tip came in from a woman named Cornella K from Rhode Island. She stated from the photograph she saw, Matthew Hoffman appeared to have “a very peculiar messed-up nose and twisted ears. Genetic abnormalities which affect the physical body to such an extent tend to also affect the brain and glands.” Cornella thought that Hoffman’s lawyer should become involved so that he could find an expert analyst in such abnormalities. This expert might persuade Hoffman to reveal where the missing three people were. Cornella signed off, “Doing all in the name/reputation of the Lord Jesus the Christ.”

  Gary C of Long Beach, California, claimed, “I’m a psychic from California. Kokosing Gap Trail at the intersection of State Route 36 goes under State Route 36 southwest and northeast. Take the trail south for one thousand feet. Another small trail runs along that trail. Go east to Howard Street in Howard. Where two trails branch off is where bodies are covered with red plastic.” A later note by authorities related that the Knox County Emergency Management Agency director Brian Hess went there, but found nothing.

  Another psychic phoned in and said, “The three others are still alive. They are being held by a white male forty-five to fifty-five years old. He is of medium build and rough looking. He is unemployed and staying in a house owned by his mother. This is in an adjacent county, probably east of Mount Vernon. He knows the family or a family friend, and has done work around the house. He used a weapon to get them in an older van or SUV. The suspect in jail knows this subject and will crack during interrogation.”

  * * *

  KCSO by Sunday evening was nearly overwhelmed by the amount of work they were now tasked with. Assignments included the ongoing search of Matthew Hoffman’s residence and seizure of items therein; the interrogation of Hoffman, who had yet to divulge what had happened to Tina, Kody and Stephanie; the taking in and logging of the tips; the coordination of volunteer search efforts; and the dispensing of news to the hoard of television and print journalists whose news vehicles and satellite trucks were camped out in the KCSO parking lot. This last matter was a huge headache for the office in general and for Sheriff David Barber in particular. Nothing like this had ever happened in Knox County before.

  To help in this regard, FBI Special Agent Harry Trombitas made a list of suggestions about how to deal with the media and what information to dispense to them. Sheriff Barber was grateful for the advice and used it as a template in his remarks to reporters.

  Trombitas started out by suggesting that the sheriff release this statement: “Based on evidence discovered at the two crime scenes and what investigators have learned through various interviews, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office is moving into a new phase of the investigation, and we are now conducting a two-pronged investigative approach.

  “Prong one deals with the blood at the initial scene and the recovery of Sarah. Investigators are considering the possibility that the three missing persons may have in fact been killed.” Trombitas added that because of what was known so far, the bodies of the three may have been moved to an undisclosed location by Matt Hoffman or someone helping him, and suggested that KCSO now ask all citizens of the region to think back to the afternoon of Wednesday, November 10, or Thursday, November 11, and report any unusual sightings of suspicious persons or activity they may have witnessed. Citizens of the county, especially in rural areas near Mount Vernon and Apple Valley, should search their properties for recent tire marks or places where a person could have driven in with a vehicle, especially in areas where there was concealing foliage or outbuildings. The statement also instructed people not touch anything that looked suspicious, but to call KCSO immediately.

  Prong two dealt with the chance that Tina, Kody and Stephanie could still be alive. Trombitas told Barber, “Now may be a good time to give the media photos of the three known vehicles involved—the Toyota Yaris, the pickup and Jeep. Sometimes seeing an image is far superior in jogging the memory of a citizen than just a verbal description.”

  Trombitas ended his message to Sheriff Barber by stating he would advise not giving out any additional information about the two crime scenes—Tina’s home on King Beach Drive and Matt Hoffman’s residence on Columbus Road—and he also suggested that Sheriff Barber schedule formal press conferences at specific hours each day.

  * * *

  Larry Maynard and his family had their own challenges dealing with the swarm of media that surrounded their home. Never in their wildest dreams had any of them ever imagined they would be placed in such a position.

  Larry recalled, “There were news vans and satellite trucks all up and down [our] street. The reporters were constantly ringing the door bell, and at first I just told them I wasn’t giving any interviews. After a while I put up a sign, ‘Don’t ring the doorbell or knock. Please respect our privacy.’ It didn’t help. They kept ringing the door bell and asking for interviews anyway.

  “Phone calls were coming in from everywhere. Local news stations and national ones. We were even getting calls from overseas. And talk shows were calling as well. The phone wouldn’t stop ringing. We felt like we were trapped in our own house. It was horrible!

  “We were hunkered down like prisoners in our own house. We had Sarah back, (she was at home with Larry and his family at that point) and that was great. But we couldn’t stop worrying about Kody, Tina and Stephanie. I could barely eat. I could barely sleep. I’d just go from a daze into kind of half-sleep. Even then, it was mostly just falling into a daze in a chair.”

  * * *

  At 7:15 PM on November 14, an interesting development took place. BCI&I Special Agent Joe Dietz convinced Matthew Hoffman to take a ride with him in an effort to refresh his memory about what had occurred. As Dietz wrote in a report, “Detective [Doug] Turpen, Special Agent [Kristin] Cadieux and I accompanied Hoffman on this drive to different parts of Knox County.”

  The investigators’ reports later stated precisely when and where they had gone, noting that they left the sheriff’s office, drove to Hoffman’s mother’s house and then by Tina Herrmann’s house. They went down Magers Road, turned around and went by Tina’s house and again by Hoffman’s mother’s house once more. Then they drove to the ball fields at East Knox Middle School and later by the baseball field in Howard. They stopped off at a Burger King for some food, went on to Foundation Park and finally back to the sheriff’s office.

  Alas, the trip was a bust, as Hoffman did not reveal anything as to where Tina, Kody and Stephanie might be found. Attempts to have Matthew Hoffman answer questions continued into Monday, November 15. Detective David Light noted, “He would occasionally drink some water, but would not even answer if he wanted a bathroom break. The efforts to have him speak included FBI Agent Kristin Cadieux, but he would not talk much about the incidents that led to his arrest.”

  Though investigators were determined to get information out of Matthew Hoffman, and they tried all the interrogation techniques standard in these kinds of interviews, Hoffman remained absolutely silent.

  TWENTY

  “The Epitome of Bravery”

  Requests for interviews with Larry and Sarah Maynard only increased on Monday, November 15, 2010. Not only were radio outlets and newspaper journalists trying to talk to them, but
representatives from Good Morning America, Oprah, Maury and many more national television programs were also calling. Even networks from overseas were interested in the story.

  Larry said, “I didn’t want to talk to any of them. We just had gotten Sarah back, and our main concerns were about what had happened to Tina, Kody and Stephanie. I just wanted the world to go away and leave me alone. But the phone kept ringing, and the media was camped all around us.”

  * * *

  Sheriff David Barber gave his afternoon press conference on November 15, following FBI Special Agent Harry Trombitas’s suggestions, and revealed a few more facts about the ongoing investigation. Barber said, “We’re here to give you an update on the investigation. The positive aspect of the investigation occurred yesterday morning at approximately 8:00 AM with the rescue of thirteen-year-old Sarah Maynard. Sarah is with family members now. She was examined at a local hospital and treated at a local hospital. She has been reunited with family members and is doing well.

  “As a result of the investigation and as a result of Sarah’s rescue and the arrest of Matthew Hoffman, our investigation has taken a turn in a little bit different direction. It kind of has a two-pronged approach now. Obviously with her rescue we still want to remain optimistic that Tina, Stephanie and Kody are alive and being held against their will at some location. That makes it important for the public to think back to what they were doing last Wednesday or Thursday. Did they see something unusual? Something before all this became an event. Did they see someone unusual in the area? A car parked somewhere or something like that. If so, I would like them to please, please, please call the sheriff’s office. We do have a tip line in place. We need that kind of information—whether it’s vehicles or something that didn’t seem quite right.

  “The other approach to the investigation is, unfortunately when you have a situation like this, when you’ve had four missing people for almost a week and there’s been no contact with them with the exception of Sarah—we have to approach this investigation that Tina, Stephanie and Kody are dead. That they have been killed.

  “That makes it crucial that if a person sees something—something out of the ordinary, don’t touch it. Don’t assume it belongs there. It could be clothing, a bag, something like that, it could contain evidence with which we need to further the investigation.

  “We are continuing with search efforts, and I think a lot of you [the media] have seen that this morning. That’s where we are today. I will take questions now. I will remind you, this is an active investigation. There is a lot of sensitive information that could impede a successful prosecution, so there are some questions I will not be able to answer.”

  The first questions asked were about recent police searches in Foundation Park and whether there had been anything specific in the park that led them there.

  Barber said no, and explained, “Most of you know that Matthew Hoffman lives at Columbus Road. Right across the street is a lane that leads into that park. Foundation Park has ponds and it’s a former gravel pit. That’s why we’re searching.”

  In fact, down in Foundation Park, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources had conducted a search of the water areas via a boat equipped with sonar. They located two objects in the water and called in dive team members from the Fredericktown Fire Department. The objects were discovered to be two vehicles submerged in the water. This caused a lot of excitement, but ultimately neither turned out to have any connection to the case. One was an older model Mercury Grand Marquis full of dirt and sediment that had clearly been in the water for quite a while. The other was a Ford Expedition that investigators learned had been stolen in 2006.

  When asked whether Matthew Hoffman had been cooperative in the investigation, Barber was guarded. “I won’t comment on what he has or has not been doing,” he said, adding only, “The investigators are talking with him, and I think most people when they’re arrested—they’re not too likely to want to talk about it. That’s all I want to say.”

  Questions turned to the three people still missing.

  “Have you found out if there was a connection between Mr. Hoffman and these four people?” a journalist inquired.

  Barber answered, “Other than that he has a relative who lives within walking distance, not at this time.”

  “You said that Sarah had been in his possession, whatever you want to call it, of Mr. Hoffman dating back to Wednesday. What is the last time Sarah saw those other three individuals?”

  Barber responded that Sarah had last seen her mother and brother on Wednesday, and he wasn’t sure about Stephanie, though it had possibly been on the Tuesday.

  One reporter asked, “You said that you’re hopeful that [the three missing people are] alive, but there is the possibility that they’re dead. Which way are you leaning on that?”

  Barber answered, “I have to be realistic. It’s been all this time and evidence that’s been gathered, and evidence discovered yesterday—well, with the families, we’re making sure they’re aware of the ultimate possibility in this.”

  “When did you start to believe that Tina, Stephanie and Kody might be dead?” a journalist asked.

  Barber said, “We still are hopeful that they are alive. But we have to be realistic that the amount of blood in the house and the fact that Sarah was found with the suspect and no one else was found there, and no one has seen them since Wednesday of last week—that is troubling.”

  This was followed by, “Were all four people alive when they left the house?” Barber said he didn’t know the answer to that.

  “With these lives in the balance, how far can you push Matthew Hoffman for answers?” Barber was asked.

  “Everything within the law,” he replied.

  Someone asked, “Is the search confined only locally? Or is there a plan to expand it out of state?”

  Barber replied, “At this time there’s no reason to believe the three missing persons are outside the geographical area of Knox County.”

  “Can you address how you and your officers are handling all of this?”

  For a moment Sheriff Barber was facetious and said, “We just don’t sleep.” Then he added, “But in all seriousness, because of the partnership we have with the FBI, with the attorney general’s office, BCI&I, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies, we work around the clock, rotating people in and rotating people out.”

  A reporter wondered if the sheriff’s office had a person of interest other than Matthew Hoffman in mind. Barber answered, “Not at this time. There’s nothing to indicate that he had an accomplice. But the investigation is still in progress.”

  “Can you comment on Sarah’s health condition right now?”

  “It’s my understanding that physically she’s fine. Obviously she’s been through a lot and she’s going to be recovering from that with the help of services.”

  “Have you gotten any information from her?”

  “Investigators have.”

  “Have her statements been helpful?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Have the suspect’s parents, who live near the home—have they been cooperative?”

  “They have been cooperative.”

  Another reporter asked if Barber could go into more detail about Sarah. Barber stated, “She is a very brave little girl. I have not met her in person yet. My investigators have talked to her, and I’m looking forward to the day I get to meet Sarah Maynard, because not only is she assisting the investigation, but under the circumstances, a thirteen-year-old girl being held captive for days by a stranger—I would call that the epitome of bravery.”

  A reporter asked how long Sarah had been bound and gagged during her captivity. Barber said, “I’m not going to be specific, but I think she told us she had not been bound and gagged the whole
time.”

  “Did he hurt her or assault her in any way?”

  Barber responded, “I can’t comment on that.”

  A reporter asked what Sheriff Barber thought of all the citizen volunteers out searching. He said, “I think it’s outstanding. But they need to be mindful that they’re not used to doing these sorts of things. They need to be organized so that they’re not contaminating evidence by just tromping around. If they see something out of the ordinary, they need to step back and let an officer know about it.”

  One reporter brought up the fact that some of Hoffman’s neighbors said that he had been acting strangely in the days before all of this happened. Barber replied, “Those folks will be interviewed by law enforcement. And no matter how insignificant it may sound, anything like that, that people remember, they should call the sheriff’s office. It’s going to be followed up by law enforcement.”

  “Is Greg Borders, the ex-boyfriend, a person of interest?”

  Sheriff Barber gave an emphatic, “No.”

  * * *

  The sheriff’s news conference provided Larry Maynard no new answers. He wanted to go out with one of the search parties, but family and friends were against this. They worried what would happen if he stumbled upon Tina’s and Kody’s bodies. Although they still held out hope that Tina and Kody were alive, the prospects of that were dimming by the hour.

  While the Maynards tried to cope, the tips continued to pour into KCSO.

  Todd K said that he’d seen one of the missing women in a green minivan. And TJ, who stated that he worked for a cable company, said that while working close to Mathew Hoffman’s house on Columbus Road on Friday, November 12, he’d seen a boxy black van parked in front of Hoffman’s residence.