‘Somebody knows something’: Scotland County investigators look for answers months after woman killed in home by 2 masked men

SCOTLAND COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — Detectives are hoping the public can help them figure out who shot and killed a Scotland County woman in her home in front of her children.

Kayla Hodges was only 30.

Capt. Randy Dover with the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office said he thinks the attack was targeted. He said after almost three months, they may finally have a lead.

“Somebody knows something,” he said.

On the night of July 28, deputies said two Black masked men entered a single-wide home on Hill Creek Road demanding Hodges to “give it up, you know what it is.”

When Hodges didn’t give them anything, the men shot her from close range in front of her four young children who were eating dinner.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time. All the cases that we’ve had, especially homicides, this has really bothered me because it was brutal, in front of your children,” Dover said. “And these guys just don’t care. Probably going to go do it again, no doubt.”

Hodges’ boyfriend was also at the home. Dover said when her boyfriend came out from the room, the masked men also demanded him to “give it up” before leaving the house.

Her boyfriend didn’t see if they left on foot or in a vehicle.

“There’s multiple residents right along with it, so this house was definitely targeted,” Dover said. “They knew what they were going for. That’s why I feel like somebody knows something. These are going to be locals or people that frequent the area.”

Dover said the sheriff’s office doesn’t have many leads in the case because there was only one camera in the neighborhood and no one has come forward with any information.

He said they recently compared evidence found at the scene to a recent shooting in another county.

“Just recently, we have one in Moore County and we’re working with Moore County now,” Dover said. “Hopefully, this is going to be our same guys. We’re not sure yet. We’re still working on that.”