Trial opens in 1998 Hammond triple homicide

Nearly 25 years later, a murder trial opened Tuesday for a man charged in a 1998 Hammond triple homicide.

Prosecutors alleged James Higgason III, 52, and David Copley, 47, beat Elva Tamez, then 36, Jerod Hodge, 18, and Timothy Ross, 16, to death on Jan. 18, 1998 with pieces of wood or metal pipes, records state. They were trying to get drugs and cash in Tamez’s home, a suspected “crack house” on the 4600 block of Torrence Avenue in Hammond, according to court documents.

Both Copley and Higgason were among a handful of early suspects, but were not charged at the time. Back then, DNA tests turned up inconclusive.

Decades later in 2020, as technology became more sophisticated, Indiana State Police linked DNA from Tamez’s fingernail clippings to Copley. A secondary, but much more limited hit came from Higgason, court records show.

Both men were charged in January 2021.

Copley had gone to the police in 1998 alleging Higgason instigated the murders, threatening to kill him if he did not cooperate, court records show.

Copley had since cut a deal with prosecutors last year to flip against Higgason. He pleaded guilty to Hodge’s murder. In exchange for his testimony, they dropped the other two murder charges.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Keith Anderson told jurors that Copley participated in a taped call where Higgason alluded to possible involvement.

“They might give us the electric chair if you go talk to the police,” Higgason said, according to Anderson.

Defense lawyers Mark Greunhagen and Matthew Fech said Tuesday the evidence against their client was thin and someone else could have been involved with Copley.

Copley couldn’t be trusted because he had the plea incentive, Fech said. Over the years, he gave “multiple” accounts on what happened to Hammond detectives, the lawyer said.

It was a known drug house in the territory of the Latin Kings street gang, which required a “tax” on all drug dealing, Fech said.

Charges were presented against Higgason and Copley at the time of the original incident but due to the evidence that could be obtained at that time, charges were not accepted, a Hammond Police news release said previously.

Linda Hodge, Jerod’s mother, testified Tuesday that two or three people showed up to her house that day in 1998 to tell her he was found dead in Hammond. She called 911.

At the time, police said they had no suspects or a motive in the slayings.