Walton County Sheriff's Office Announces Homicide Charges In Case Of Missing Couple
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: February 14, 2013
Sheriff
Michael A. Adkinson, Jr. announces the arrest of Barry Davis, 27, of
DeFuniak Springs, in the homicide of Heidi Rhodes, 41, of Panama City
Beach, and John
Hughes, 49, of Santa Rosa Beach.
These charges stem from months of investigation and over 2,000 man hours by Walton County Sheriff's Office investigators. Law enforcement have served numerous search warrants and subpoenas, exhausted leads, conducted interviews and worked with several other jurisdictions during the length of this case. The Walton County Sheriff's Office has working closely with the State Attorney's Office in conjunction with this case.
These charges stem from months of investigation and over 2,000 man hours by Walton County Sheriff's Office investigators. Law enforcement have served numerous search warrants and subpoenas, exhausted leads, conducted interviews and worked with several other jurisdictions during the length of this case. The Walton County Sheriff's Office has working closely with the State Attorney's Office in conjunction with this case.
As a result of their efforts, investigators identified Davis as a suspect.
In
May 2012, the Walton County Sheriff's Office began a missing person
investigation involving Heidi Rhodes and John Hughes. Rhodes dog,
Molly, was also unable to
be located. They were last heard from by family and friends early in
May. No indication was made by the couple that they were moving or
going out of town. A welfare check of Hughes home found it to be empty,
with his two vehicles missing.
During
the investigation, Davis became a person of interest. He last saw
Hughes and Rhodes on May 7, 2012. According to Davis, he was hired by
Hughes to pack a rental
truck with his furniture and personal belongings from his Seagrove Beach
home. He also stated to investigators he was asked to sell Hughes' car
and manage his properties. Hughes' car, a Corvette, was located in
Central Florida where it had been sold by Davis'
for $15,000. The investigation also led law enforcement to find some of
Hughes' property located at a local storage facility, rented in Davis'
name. Other property belonging to Hughes was located at a local pawn
shop and in Davis' home in Argyle. Witnesses
told law enforcement Davis had given items to them as payment for work
they had done for him as laborers. These items were verified to be
personal belongings of Hughes, including a lamp. Evidence gathered from
the lamp was sent to the Florida Department of
Law Enforcement Lab. The blood identified on the lamp belonged to John
Hughes. Another one of the belongings given away was identified as
Rhodes' dog Molly.
Davis
was seen by numerous individuals driving another vehicle belonging to
Hughes, a Cadillac Escalade, for several weeks after Hughes and Rhodes
disappearance in
May. The Escalade was found several months later parked and covered
with a tarp on the backside of a property in DeFuniak Springs. Upon
recovery of the Escalade, it was processed for evidence.
Through
a research of financial transactions, Davis was found to have made
numerous debits from Hughes' accounts after the couple's disappearance.
Leads show Davis
benefited financially and materially via Hughes' assets and property.
Information
obtained throughout the investigation, along with witness testimony and
evidence have linked Davis to the murders of Heidi Rhodes and John
Hughes.
