KODY MAYNARD - 11 yo (2010) Killed with Mother and her friend - Howard (NE of Columbus) OH

Sheriff: Blood Found In Home Of Missing Woman, Children

Knox County Sheriff's Deputies Remain At Howard House


13th November 2010

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(clockwise from top left) Stephanie Sprang, Kody Maynard, Tina Herrmann, Sarah Maynard
Credit: Mount Vernon News

• (clockwise from top left) Stephanie Sprang, Kody Maynard, Tina Herrmann, Sarah Maynard Credit: Mount Vernon News
  Tina Herrmann Credit: Mount Vernon News
  Sarah Maynard Credit: Mount Vernon News
  Kody Maynard Credit: Mount Vernon News
  Stephanie Sprang Credit: Mount Vernon News
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  Photo of Greg Borders (NBC 4)
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By Associated Press, NBC 4

Updated: November 12, 2010 - 4:42 PMBuzz up! HOWARD, Ohio --
Knox County sheriff's deputies remain at a Howard home Friday, believing four missing people could be victims of foul play.Authorities were searching for 32-year-old Tina Herrmann, her 13-year-old daughter, Sarah Maynard, and her 11-year-old son, Kody Maynard. Also missing was 41-year-old Stephanie Sprang, a friend with whom Herrmann was planning to get an apartment, said Greg Borders, who said he and Herrmann had recently ended a six-year relationship.An endangered missing child advisory was issued for the children.Kody is described as being 4 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 70 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.Sarah is described as being 5 feet tall, weighing 90 pounds with blonde hair and green eyes.Sprang is described as being 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 110 pounds with blonde hair and green eyes.Herrmann is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 122 pounds with sandy blonde, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes.Borders reported Herrmann missing on Wednesday, and her co-worker at a Dairy Queen went to her home in Howard to check on her when she didn't show up for work on Thursday, Knox County Sheriff David Barber said.Borders said Friday he last heard from the mother on Wednesday when Herrmann texted him on his way to work at a distribution center about 80 miles away in West Jefferson at about 4:40 a.m. to let him know that she'd fed the dog. He said the dog, a miniature pinscher named Tanner, was also missing.The couple were still living together despite splitting up several weeks ago, and they were on the verge of losing their house after falling a few months behind on their mortgage payments, Borders said."We were fairly civil, as civil as you can be living in the same house when you're split up," he told reporters outside the home. He said they argued, but said their fights were never physical.Borders says he finished his shift 4 p.m. Wednesday and spent the night with a friend. He was playing golf on Thursday when his mother called and said something was wrong with Herrmann.He didn't think much of it, until he returned to the house in Howard after 5:30 p.m. and found authorities there.He gave officers permission to search the house and didn't go inside himself. He said a deputy took a few steps into the home and said he saw a considerable mess inside."I think something bad happened, something happened inside the house," Borders said. "It's not like Tina or me to leave the house unsecured.It wasn't clear if the house was unlocked when authorities arrived Thursday.Barber said authorities are treating the blood found in the house as a sign of injuries. The case is considered a missing persons report.It was unclear what led to the disappearance of the four, and the sheriff did not elaborate. The father of the children, who lives in Hilliard, said it was unlike Herrmann to go away without letting him know. He did not immediately return messages seeking further comment.The split-level house is surrounded by trees and sits isolated on a relatively short, rural roadway. Both ends of the road were blocked off Friday with yellow crime-scene tape, as sheriff's deputies stood guard.Sprang's vehicle was found parked at the home, and Herrmann's truck was found on property owned by nearby Kenyon College, about 50 miles northeast of Columbus.The truck was discovered at the Brown Family Environmental Center, across the road from campus, but was later removed. The sheriff's office told the school that the vehicle was believed to be connected to a crime scene.Kenyon officials put the campus under an hours-long lockdown until Friday morning. A statement posted on the school's website said "enhanced" security would be in place through at least the weekend.Safety escorts are available at all times by calling 740-427-5109.An e-mail sent to Kenyon students, provided to The Associated Press, says "local law enforcement advised of a potentially dangerous person in the vicinity."Shawn Presley, a Kenyon College spokesman, said authorities were referring to a suspect linked to the missing women and children.He said the college did not believe there was any threat to students and that the lockdown was done strictly as a precaution. Authorities did not say whether they found anyone, Presley said.David McCabe, 18, a Kenyon freshman from New York, said the college sent vans to take students to their dorms from the campus library and student center."At first people were a little nervous, but I think in general most people felt pretty safe," McCabe said, speaking of the students in his dorm. The college radio station kept students updated on the situation, McCabe said."As it became clear that the lockdown was more a precaution than a threat, people became a little calmer," he said.The state's Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation was providing crime scene assistance, said spokesman Ted Hart, who deferred other questions to the sheriff.Sarah Maynard is a 7th grader at East Knox Middle School, where her brother is in the 5th grade, school officials said. The district had staff available if any students were upset about their missing classmates and wanted to talk, Superintendent Matt Caputo said Friday.Bill Miller, a bus driver for the East Knox local schools, said he was very familiar with the two children and said he picked them up every day as part of his route."(They are) perfect kids, never had any trouble with the kids. They were great," Miller said, stopping to talk in his car Friday morning while driving to his bus. "They're always out in the yard, playing ball back and forth, kicking stuff around. No problems I ever saw."Kenyon College is a private liberal arts school in Central Ohio with an enrollment of about 1,600.For the latest news and information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com.
http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/nov/12/31/4-people-missing-college-lockdown-ar-288593/

I bet LE are looking very closely at the recent ex.

Support Growing To Find Missing Family, Friend
Saturday, November 13, 2010 8:01 AM



HOWARD, Ohio — Friends and neighbors gathered on Saturday morning to search for two women and two children who disappeared earlier in the week.

Tina Herrmann, 32 , her children Sarah Maynard, 13, and Kody Maynard, 11, were last seen on Wednesday, 10TV News reported.
Herrmann's friend, Stephanie Sprang, 41, also disappeared.
"Detectives are interviewing family members, friends and acquaintances," said Knox County Sheriff David Barber. "Right now, there is no indication that they were abducted."
Investigators spent Friday searching through Herrmann's King Beach Drive home for clues as to why the four disappeared.
Even though blood was found inside the home, police said that they did not believe it came from a struggle, but from an injury at least one of the missing people sustained.
Barber said they were treating the disappearance as a missing person's case.
Larry Maynard, the father of the two children, said that one of Herrmann's co-workers at Dairy Queen, located at 1600 Coshocton Ave., in Mount Vernon, went to check on her after she did not show up for her Thursday shift. The co-worker told him that she found blood and beer cans when she peeked inside the windows before calling 911.
Greg Borders, who shares the house with Herrmann and her two children, said that he left for work early Wednesday and then spent the night at a friend's house in Urbana, Ohio.
Borders admitted that their six-year relationship was shaky but told 10TV News that he would never hurt Herrmann or her children.
"I mean, there were arguments every once in awhile and disagreements, but I was still watching her kids at night when she went to work," Borders said. "I think something bad happened."
Herrmann's pickup was discovered late Thursday night near the Kenyon College campus in nearby Gambier.
According to Larry Maynard, Herrmann and Borders were having problems and she needed to get away from him. Larry Maynard told 10TV News that Herrmann was searching for a new place to live and that his children often spoke of problems in the house.
"The kids have told me when (Borders) gets drunk, he becomes somewhat violent," Larry Maynard said. "He throws beer bottles at the pickup truck if their mom tries to leave. He broke the garage door. He gets real vulgar, belligerent when he's drunk."
Borders admitted that the situation was not ideal but the reports of a volatile relationship were not true.
"We were fairly civil," Borders said. "I mean, as civil as you can be living in the same house when you are split up."
"I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best," Larry Maynard said.
Sarah M. Maynard is 5 feet tall, weighing 90 pounds, with blonde hair and green eyes.
Kody A. Maynard was described as 4 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing 70 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Sprang is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, weighing 110 pounds, with blonde hair and green eyes.
Herrmann was described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing 122 pounds, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.
Investigators said they are treating this as a missing person's case, and they have no suspects and no persons of interest.
""I'm hoping that they find them and they are safe and Kody and (Sarah) are back in school," said Morgan McCarthy, a friend who created a Facebook page to coordinate information about the missing people.
As of late Friday, more than 600 people joined the group, 10TV's Jason Frazer reported.
The page has been filled with messages of prayers and pictures of the missing people.
"I'm hoping that someone will see the (missing people) at the gas station where they might be on vacation or something and they say, 'Hey, people are looking for you,'" said Rebecca Cook, a friend of the children.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/11/13/story-howard-knox-county-missing-people.html?sid=102

• November 13, 2010 2:08 pm EST
  

HOWARD — Knox County SheriffDavid Barber reported today his office has been receiving tips on the case ofthe four missing persons from Apple Valley.audio

Audio from Sheriff Barber’s press conference 12:56


“We appreciate the efforts of the news media to get out the informationabout these four people being missing and publishing their pictures,” hesaid. “We have received some information. Any information we are receivingis being followed up by the detectives at this time. Evidence is continuing tobe collected at the site. [Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation]is not here yet this morning but they will be back later on today.”Tina Herrmann, 32, her two children, Sarah Maynard, 13, and Kody Maynard, 11;and Stephanie Sprang, 41, have been missing since at least Thursday.Barber said the BCI is processing the evidence they have collected to this pointand the vehicles belonging to the two women. BCI will also be analyzing the bloodsamples collected at the site to determine if it belongs to more than one personand to see if identification can be made from DNA analysis. Barber did not haveany kind of timeline on when there would be results from any of the evidenceprocessing.“I don’t want to speak for the BCI&I,” he said. “Butthey have made it a high priority case. We are hoping that the processing ofall the evidence from the residence, and from the two trucks, will provide uswith more information as to their disappearance.”Barber pointed out that aircraft from the Ohio State Highway Patrol was on thecase as he spoke at the scene.“They are flying over this area with infrared scanners,” he explained. “Wealso have officers on quad-runners checking the areas around here.”Barber said the continued use of airplanes and quad-runners would be “tolook for any one or anything that may have gone away from the scene that mightbe relevant to the investigation.”Barber said the case is still being considered a missing persons case and thereshould be no cause for alarm as to the safety of people in the area.Barber did explain that although the sheriff’s office was making use ofseveral different agencies, his office was serving as the lead investigationunit in the case.“We are utilizing the FBI, for instance to analyze data such as creditcard hits or computer-related information. The FBI has resources to check thosekinds of things that we just don’t have,” he explained. “Butour detectives are doing the day to day investigation. I have never been afraidto ask for help and I will partner with whoever can help us solve a case.”Barber said some volunteer groups were searching the area around the Brown FamilyEnvironmental Center outside of Gambier where Herrmann’s truck was foundThursday night.“That area had been thoroughly searched by law enforcement officers Thursdaynight,” Barber said. “We hope those folks, if they find anythingunusual, back off from it and call the sheriff’s office immediately. Wewould also like to hear from anybody who had any kind of contact with any ofthe four of them on Wednesday afternoon. First we are trying to determine a timeline for Wednesday, and second, we want to find out if anybody heard anythingunusual from the four of them — if they had any concerns about anythingthey heard from them or anything about another person or family issues. If anyonehas seen them or heard from them call (740) 397-3333, our dispatcher divisionor (740) 393-6800, our detective division.”Barber said he is asking people to have a guarded, optimistic attitude abouthow this case will unfold.After his official press conference, Barber talked exclusively with News StaffReporter Kenesha R. Beheler.“If they find anything unusual, such as clothing items or maybe somethingthat looked like a sign of a struggle, with flattened down foliage — andGod forbid — a body, we would not want them to touch anything. We ask theyback away from the scene and immediately contact law enforcement,” saidBarber.Barber said he commends the efforts being made by the community to support theinvestigation but asks for caution be taken in this serious matter. “They maybe so focused on trying to help that they are not being safe aboutit and fall through a hole, especially when they are going through terrain likethis,” he said. “We do have a little bit of concern for them butwe do appreciate the efforts.”Mount Vernon resident Jana Wirick, two children, Bobby and Mandy, and friends,joined in Saturday’s community search effort.“I just want to do something for the families,” Wirick said who broughtfood and drinks for the volunteers. “I didn’t want to be out searchingbut I wanted to help the people who were. I just hope they find something.”Although she was glad to see someone in the community try to coordinate a searchthrough Facebook and text messaging, Wirick wonders if more local residents wouldhave been involved if law enforcement had organized the search parties.“I cannot imagine, for one minute, anyone that I love in my life go missing,and not have everyone I know out looking,” she said. “I don’tunderstand why everyone wasn’t out there.”Wirick attended Barber’s press conference earlier today and said she wassurprised by some of Barber’s answers.“He said in our everyday life we should be on alert and keep our kids guardedand not just because of what may have happened here. I want to feel safe,” shesaid. “I hope this doesn’t become another unsolved crime here inKnox County.”http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/10/11/13/barber-updates-community-on-search

November 14th, 2010

Missing Ohio teen found in basement; others still missing
A 13-year-old Ohio girl who had gone missing with her brother, mother and a family friend was found safe early Sunday, authorities said. The other three people have not been located.Sarah Maynard has been found safe in the basement of a home in Mount Vernon, Ohio and is being evaluated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.Matthew Hoffman, 30, is under arrest for kidnapping, with additional charges expected. The whereabouts of the teen's mother, Tina Herrmann, brother Kody Maynard and family friend Stephanie Sprang are still unknown.
Great news! I hope the others are ok.

Ohio girl found alive, bound; no word on 3 others


MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – A 13-year-old girl missing for days was found bound and gagged but alive in a basement Sunday, and authorities hoped a man charged with kidnapping her might lead them to her mother, brother and another woman who disappeared with her. Matthew J. Hoffman, 30, was arrested at his Mount Vernon home, where Sarah Maynard was found, Knox County Sheriff David Barber said. He said the girl was hospitalized in good condition but would give no details and did not say if she had been sexually abused. Barber did not say what led investigators to Hoffmans's home, a two-story house with tan siding and a large television antenna on the roof that is about 10 miles from the home of Sarah's family. He said authorities hoped Hoffman would give them information leading to Sarah's mother, Tina Herrmann, her 10-year-old brother, Kody, and Herrman's 41-year-old friend Stephanie Sprang. "We were hopeful of finding more than one of the missing people in the house," Barber said. "But the information we had was that Sarah would definitely be found in that house." The four vanished Wednesday in a case that was all the more alarming because an unusual amount of blood was found at Hermann's home. Authorities believe the girl had been "under the control" of Hoffman since Wednesday, when she and her brother last attended school, the sheriff said. He did not know if Hoffman was connected to either Herrmann or Sprang, but said he is not the ex-boyfriend of either woman. "At this time, whether he's connected to the family or whether he connected himself to the family ... a lot of that remains to be seen as the investigation continues," Barber said. Hoffman was charged with kidnapping, and Barber said more charges are expected. Neighbors has said they saw a body bag being taken from Hoffman's home about 40 miles north of Columbus, but the sheriff said that was "absolutely false." "We have no one that we're aware of who is deceased," Barber said. "So we're still treating this as a missing persons case." Authorities blocked off about a half block on either side of the house as they investigated early Sunday afternoon, keeping people from entering or leaving about a half dozen homes. But by late afternoon, the only sign of investigative activity was red and white evidence tape sealing the front door of the home closed. Diane Davis, whose daughter lives next door to Hoffman, described him as a "crazy man." She said he at times sat in a tree behind the house and looked out at other people and that he often went to a nearby fishing hole with a backpack but no rod. Herrmann was reported missing Wednesday when she did not show up for work at a local Dairy Queen. Barber has said blood indicating an injury had been found in her home, where Sprang's vehicle was in the driveway. Herrmann's pickup truck had been found Thursday night near the Kenyon College campus, leading to a lockdown at the school. Hoffman was being held in the county jail. A bond hearing was expected to be held Monday. Attempts to reach relatives of Hoffman and of Sarah were unsuccessful Sunday.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101114/ap_on_re_us/us_ohio_family_missing

Neighbor: Body bag taken near missing Ohio family's home

11/14/2010 1:50:55 PM

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio -- A neighbor says authorities have made an arrest and taken a body bag out of a home about 10 miles from the house of a woman and two children who disappeared last week with a friend.

Jeannette Columber, of Mount Vernon, says she saw authorities bring the black bag and a handcuffed person wearing a hooded sweatshirt out of a home on her street on Sunday morning.

Knox County Sheriff's Office personnel would not comment on the activity or say whether it is related to the disappearance of Tina Herrmann of Howard, her 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son and a 41-year-old friend.

Columber says she saw SWAT officers, a sheriff's office van and several trucks from the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation at the neighbor's home.

Mount Vernon is about 40 miles north of Columbus.

November 15, 2010 11:47 AM Missing Ohio Girl Sarah Maynard Found; Police Search Park


MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (CBS/WBNS) Police on Monday blocked off a park a few blocks away from the home where Ohio teenager Sarah Maynard was found bound and gagged over the weekend. PICTURES: Missing Ohio Girl Found, Search for Others Continues Police apparently found items in Foundation Park in Mount Vernon, Ohio that may be connected to the 13-year-old girl and the three other people who went missing Wednesday. Matthew Hoffman, 30, was taken into custody inside the home where Sarah was found and charged with one count of kidnapping, investigators said. Additional charges against him were possible.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20022800-504083.html

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/nov/16/6/mt-vernon-mom-son-friend-still-missing-ar-292197/
Cadaver K-9s Called To Mt. Vernon; Mom, Son & Friend Still Missing
Hoffman May Have Been Watching Family, Sheriff Says
By Associated Press & NBC 4
Published: November 16, 2010
Updated: November 16, 2010 - 7:44 AM

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio -- A Mount Vernon man accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old girl found bound and gagged in a basement may have been watching her family beforehand, authorities said.

Matthew J. Hoffman even sat nearby last week as police recovered the missing family's truck, Knox County Sheriff David Barber said.

Now, investigators acknowledge hope is dimming that the girl's mother, brother and family friend will be found alive nearly a week after they were reported missing.

"You have to be realistic that there's a possibility that these folks are dead," Barber said Monday.

Police on Sunday rescued 13-year-old Sarah Maynard from the basement of Hoffman's home, then launched a search of a nearby lake for Maynard's mother, 32-year-old Tina Herrmann; the woman's 10-year-old son, Kody Maynard; and her 41-year-old friend, Stephanie Sprang.

All four vanished last Wednesday from a Howard, Ohio, home that police say was splattered with blood.

Barber said there’s no reason to believe Herrmann, Kody or Sprang are outside of the Knox County area, NBC 4 reported.

Hoffman, who's been charged with one count of kidnapping, is to appear via video from jail for a bond hearing Tuesday. The sheriff said he does not yet have a lawyer.

Authorities don’t have any additional persons of interest in the missing persons case, NBC 4 reported.

It wasn't clear how well Hoffman knew the four missing people, but the sheriff suggested that the defendant had been watching them.

"They knew Hoffman or Hoffman made himself known to them; he acquainted himself with the family whether they knew he was acquainting himself with them or not," Barber said.

Authorities first questioned Hoffman on Thursday, the day after Herrmann failed to show up for work at Dairy Queen. Police found him sitting in his car near a bike trail opposite property owned by Kenyon College, near where Herrmann's pickup truck was found, Barber said.

The sheriff didn't say what later led investigators to Hoffman's two-story, tan-sided house in Mount Vernon, where authorities spent Monday scouring bike paths and riverbanks. A search team pulled a car and an SUV from a lake near Hoffman's home, but investigators say they're not likely related to the disappearances.

After a day of searching without any answers, the community gathered for a candlelight vigil Monday evening and prayed for a hopeful outcome.

Authorities were to continue the search on Tuesday.

Eight cadaver dogs were going to be searching Foundation Park and the area around Herrmann's home Tuesday, NBC 4 reported Tuesday morning.

Hoffman's mother and stepfather live less than a mile away from Herrmann's home in a lakeside community north of Columbus. Hoffman last lived there two years ago, his mother said, before declining to comment further.

Hoffman was sentenced to eight years in prison in Colorado in 2001 for arson and other charges. Authorities allowed him to move to Ohio in 2007 after he was released on parole, which ended about a month ago. He had paid about $4,800 toward $2.06 million in restitution, Colorado court system spokesman Jon Sarche said.

In Ohio, the sheriff declined to comment on whether Sarah was assaulted or the details of her capture. She was released from a hospital and was staying with relatives.

"She is a very brave little girl," Barber said. "Under the circumstances, a 13-year-old girl being held captive for four days by a total stranger ... I would call her the epitome of bravery."

Two blocks from Hoffman's home in Mount Vernon, about 200 community members prayed and lit candles at a church vigil for the missing people.

"I'm expecting the worst but hoping for the best," said Jacki Mace, a manager at Sunset Lane Tanning, where Herrmann and Sprang were regular customers.

Mace, 20, said Herrmann was last in the salon Wednesday morning. She called Herrmann "a sweetheart."

"If you were feeling down that day she'd do anything to make you smile, pick you up, tell you a funny story. She was a delight," Mace said. "And Stephanie was the same. She was just a sweetie. They were so nice. Never had any problems with them."

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pray-for-The-Maynard-Kids/174173612594279

# meghanwsyx6 Sonar detected something at Foundation Park http://twitpic.com/376vju about 5 hours ago via Twitter for Android Retweeted by tomwsyx6 and 1 other

# Knox county update: back at foundation park. Divers in the water now. http://twitpic.com/376b82 about 6 hours ago via Twitter for Android

# Sheriff: ex bf not a person of interest. about 7 hours ago via Twitter for Android
http://twitter.com/tomwsyx6

IMELINE
A timeline of events surrounding the disappearance of four people in Ohio:

Wednesday - Tina Herrmann is reported missing when she doesn't show up for work at a Dairy Queen in Mount Vernon, about 40 miles north of Columbus. Her children, Sarah Maynard, 13, and Kody, 10, are last seen at school. A sheriff's deputy goes to the house and sees the lights on and a pickup truck in the driveway.

Thursday - Authorities find blood inside Herrmann's home. A friend of the woman, Stephanie Sprang, also is missing. Herrmann's pickup truck is found that night close to the nearby Kenyon College campus, leading to a lockdown at the school.

Friday - A man who recently ended a relationship with Herrmann but still lives in the same house says he last heard from her early Wednesday. Greg Borders says police were at the house and found a mess inside when he returned Thursday afternoon.

Saturday - Knox County Sheriff David Barber says the unusual amount of blood in the house is related to the disappearance of the four. Investigators and neighbors search by air and land and in a private lake.

Sunday - Authorities find the 13-year-old girl bound and gagged but alive in the basement of a Mount Vernon home, about 10 miles away from Herrmann's home in the community of Howard. Police arrest Matthew J. Hoffman at the Mount Vernon house and charge him with kidnapping.

Monday - An officer finds items that could be tied to the disappearance at a park with a lake that is a few blocks from Hoffman's home. Police cruisers then block off the area. Monday afternoon, search crews recover two vehicle from a body of water at the park, but later announce that the vehicles are likely unrelated to the missing persons case.
http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/nov/15/26/knox-co-girl-found-alive-bound-no-word-3-others-ar-291229/

Mother Of Suspected Kidnapper Says He Is 'Loner'
Monday, November 15, 2010 5:45 PM
Updated: Monday, November 15, 2010 8:10 PM
WBNS-10TV
OUNT VERNON, Ohio — A man accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old girl and suspected in the disappearance of her mother, brother and a family friend was scheduled to be in court on Tuesday, as investigators dug deeper into his past.

Matthew Hoffman's mother spoke to 10TV's Jeff Hogan on Monday afternoon and said that since her son was arrested on Sunday morning, it has been an emotional time.

Hoffman, 30, was charged with kidnapping Sarah Maynard. The 13-year-old was removed from Hoffman's Columbus Road home after authorities swarmed the location on Sunday morning.

SLIDESHOWS: Matthew Hoffman | Case Timeline | Park Search | Images From Mount Vernon Neighborhood | Four Missing | Search For Missing People | VIDEO EXTRA: Sheriff David Barber's Nov. 15 News Conference

Knox County Sheriff David Barber said that Maynard was released from a hospital and was at home with family members.

Investigators did not elaborate what led them to Hoffman's home but his parents have a house on Apple Valley Drive in nearby Howard, Ohio, the same street where Maynard disappeared, along with her brother, Kody Maynard, 11, mother Tina Herrmann, 32, and family friend Stephanie Sprang, 41, 10TV News reported.

Hoffman's mother said her son occasionally had mail sent to her address but he has not lived at her home in two years.

She described her son as a "loner" and that she last saw him on Nov. 7, four days before investigators believe he abducted Maynard.

Hoffman was convicted in 2000 of setting fire to a Colorado condo complex that forced 16 people to be evacuated, 10 Investigates' Paul Aker reported.

Investigators said he used 10 gallons of gasoline to set fire to the Steamboat Springs building in an effort to cover up a burglary he committed there.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison, where he was disciplined for refusing to work, damaging property and assault, Aker reported.

After being released from prison he came to Knox County in 2007 and was able to obtain a $30,000 mortgage but it was unclear how he paid the bills.

While on parole, Hoffman was ordered to make payments for the $2 million in damage to the condos, but records showed he only paid about $5,000.

State records showed Hoffman was on parole supervision until October, Aker reported.

Hoffman's neighbors said that he moved into the five-bedroom home about a year ago. They said that he lived alone and had a history of strange behavior that made them uncomfortable.

"At first, (Hoffman) seemed like he was OK," said Donna Davis, his next door neighbor. "Then, I started making my kids come in when he was outside."

Davis told 10TV's Glenn McEntyre that initially, Hoffman seemed more odd than menacing.

"He was a weirdo," Davis said. "If you look back here in the tree, there's a hammock where he would sit and watch people. He's just different. He would always walk over to the gravel pit with bags and sometimes not bring them back. Sometimes he would."

The former gravel pit that Davis mentioned is now known as Foundation Park, a few blocks from Hoffman's home, and was the site of an extensive search on Monday.
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/11/15/story-mount-vernon-kidnapping-suspect-background.html?sid=102

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=185

scanner for this area - someone asked for a detective earlier - haven't heard anything else so far -

Tarp and duct-taped trash bags found in Knox County during search for 3 missing
Sheriff says it's possible mother, son and family friend are dead
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 02:53 AM
Updated: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 11:48 AM
By Allison Manning and Elizabeth Gibson
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Citizen searchers watch divers this morning around a pond in Foundation Park.
Authorities searching for three missing people in Knox County are closing a road after searchers found duct-taped trash bags and a tarp.

Tina Herrmann, 32; her 11-year-old son, Kody Maynard; and a family friend, Stephanie Sprang, 42, have been missing since Wednesday. Herrmann's 13-year-old daughter, Sarah Maynard, was found alive but bound and gagged in the basement of an area man Sunday. That man, Matthew J. Hoffman, is charged with kidnapping and will appear in court today.

The bags are on the side of Lower Gambier Road near Rt. 229, about a half mile from where Tina Herrmann's car was found abandoned on Thursday. The silver-and-black tarp is about 20 feet off the road near the edge of a woods.

Agents with the Ohio Bureau of Identification and Investigation are on the way to check out the bags, a Franklin County deputy said.

Delaware County deputies and two dog teams also joined the search. They are searching the Kokosing Gap Trail, a 14-mile paved recreational trail that runs between Mount Vernon and Danville. The trail ends near where Tina Herrmann's truck was found abandoned on Thursday. (See a PDF of the trail).

The dogs are from two volunteer groups - Midwest K9 Search Unit and Rapid Assistance to Community Emergencies.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/11/16/hope-fading.html?sid=101

bond set at 1 million

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/11/16/story-mount-vernon-hoffman-court-hearing-bond.html?sid=102
$1 Million Bond For Suspected Knox Co. Kidnapper
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 1:58 PM
Updated: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 2:15 PM
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — A judge set bond on Tuesday at $1 million for a man suspected of kidnapping a Knox County teenager.

A judge ordered that Matthew Hoffman, 30, post the full bond in order to be released from custody, 10TV's Maureen Kocot reported.

In most cases, people held on charges are required to pay 10 percent of the bond total.

Hoffman was scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 23 at 2:30 p.m.

SLIDESHOWS: Case Timeline | Tuesday's Search | Park Search | Images From Mount Vernon Neighborhood | Four Missing | Search For Missing People | VIDEO EXTRA: Sheriff David Barber's Nov. 15 News Conference

Hoffman is accused of kidnapping and holding Sarah Maynard, 13, for several days in his home. The girl was rescued on Sunday when authorities swarmed Hoffman's house on Columbus Road.

Maynard was found bound and gagged in Hoffman's basement, authorities said.

The teenager is one of four people who vanished last week from Knox County. The other three people, including her mother and brother, are still missing.

No one has seen or heard from Tina Herrmann, 32; her son, Kody, 11; and a friend, Stephanie Sprang, 41, since last Wednesday.

Search operations for the three included cadaver dogs on Tuesday.

Investigators used dogs to search six specific areas, including the Kokosing Gap trail that runs between Howard and Mount Vernon, 10TV's Tino Ramos reported.

Detectives told 10TV that dogs found a possible piece of evidence located off the trail near state Route 229.

It was a sock that appeared to have been recently placed in the area. Investigators were unsure whether it was connected to the missing people.

A shoe was also found at Foundation Park, but there was no immediate word whether it belonged to one of the missing people.

Part of the search also expanded into Howard, 10TV's Shayla Reaves reported.

A group searching south of Gambier reportedly may have found some evidence, but details on the findings were not released.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.

Have I got this right? So the kids were in school Wednesday but Mom was already missing from work and her work had asked for a welfare check. An officer went to the house and saw vehicles in the drive and lights on but didn't do anything? Did anyone come to the door? There were bear cans littered all round the house when they went in on Thursday, and a lot of blood. What I think must have happened is that Hoffman went round Wednesday and either restrained or killed Tina and Stephanie and then waited for the kids to come home from school. God if only LE had have got into the house on Wednesday, or not allowed the children to enter until they checked that their mother was definitely ok

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio -- Eight days after being reported missing, the bodies of a boy and two women have been found in a hollow tree in Knox County Thursday.The bodies were found in the area of Yankee Street and Waterford Road northwest of Fredericktown, sources told NBC 4 Thursday.Knox County Sheriff David Barber said at a news conference, "Today this investigation took a major turn. We have the discovered and recovered the remains of Kody Maynard, Stephanie Sprang and Tina Herrmann. The discovery of these bodies was as the result of information provided by Matthew Hoffman. The bodies were located in a wooded area inside garbage bags in a hollow tree off of Yankee Street, which is west of Fredericktown in Knox County. Mr. Hoffman remains in jail on a kidnapping charge."When asked how the victims died, Barber said he couldn't answer the question and that it would be for the coroner to determine.Barber said information obtained from Hoffman early Thursday led investigators to the location of the victims' remains. Barber said the general area had been searched before, but not the specific location of the hollow tree.Barber said the victims' families were notified Thursday morning that remains had been found and later Thursday afternoon, they were notified that the remains were positively identified.The sheriff added that crews cut part of the hollow tree in order to recover the bodies with sensitivity and dignity for the victims and the victims' families.Barber said, "This is a homicide investigation now. What will happen next is the homicide investigation continues and as the investigation progresses, it will be turned over to Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher's office."Thatcher said he would not say if there was a confession or the content of any confession obtained from Hoffman.Hoffman remains on suicide watch at the Knox County Jail on a $1 million bond. Thatcher told NBC 4 that additional charges may be filed and that a hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.Barber said there was no indication that anyone other than Hoffman was involved in the case.Barber said the bodies were in the custody of Knox County Coroner Jennifer Ogle and were being taken to the Licking County Coroner's office.Tina Herrmann, 32, her 10-year-old son, Kody, and Herrman's friend, 41-year-old Stephanie Sprang were reported missing Nov. 10.Also reported missing was Herrmann's 13-year-old daughter, Sarah Maynard, who was found Sunday in the basement of a home on Columbus Street in Mount Vernon.The resident of the home, 30-year-old Matthew J. Hoffman, is in custody and charged with kidnapping.Maynard was found bound and gagged and was taken to an area hospital. By Monday afternoon, she was released from the hospital and reunited with relatives.Herrmann, her children and Sprang disappeared Wednesday from Herrmann's home in nearby Howard. Barber has said blood indicating an injury had been found in Herrmann's home, where Sprang's vehicle was in the driveway.Authorities said they believe Sarah Maynard, had been "under the control" of Hoffman since Nov. 10, when she and her brother last attended school, the sheriff said.Barber said he felt it was safe to say that the deaths of Herrmann, Kody Maynard and Sprang occurred in the Herrmann home.At one point during the conference, Barber became emotional, saying Sarah is his hero. He added that Sarah was present at the time of the three murders.TIMELINE
A timeline of events surrounding the disappearance of four people in Ohio:http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/nov/18/39/bodies-missing-boy-women-found-ar-295449/

OMG Sarah saw her mother and brother murdered That poor child. I'm so upset Kody and the others were killed. What a monster. He should be hung from the tree he put them in. Nobody on this planet should bother spending one more second thinking about him or helping him with his 'rights'. Just get rid of him.

kiwimom wrote:OMG Sarah saw her mother and brother murdered That poor child. I'm so upset Kody and the others were killed. What a monster. He should be hung from the tree he put them in. Nobody on this planet should bother spending one more second thinking about him or helping him with his 'rights'. Just get rid of him.

Do we know why he took Sarah? I can guess, but I haven't heard it reported....?

My heart goes out to Sarah, this poor child will never be the same again. No, we haven't heard why he kept Sarah but, I think we're smart enough to surmise why. I don't think they'll say anything about it until they absolutely have to, she's going thru enough right now.
This nut job needs to be hung, NOW!!! There should not be one single cent spent on defending him, he has a long criminal record and needs to be done away with, he's wasted enough oxygen.