A Dark and Bloody Ground: Outlaw Love, a Miser's Hoard--Lust, Greed, and Killing from The...

I know Benny Hodge personally and know that he is innocent. He is a wonderful Christian now, and did not commit murder. He admits he did wrong, but he did not kill anyone!!! God be with him.

Darcy O'Brien is among an elite group of the very best authors the true crime genre has to offer. Rest assured that in this riveting book he proves it once again!Unique among true crime writers, O'Brien actually manages to inject very humorous asides in the midst of his riveting recounting of deadly murder cases. Rather than pigeonhole people into one dimensional categories like "victim" or "murderer," O'Brien rounds out the portraits of key players, and gives you insight into their quirks, hopes, dreams, strengths, and only too human flaws. Thanks to O'Brien's skilled ability to get inside their heads, the people involved become three dimensional and the reader is able to better understand what led up to their crimes. Fascinating reading to be sure! In this case, a fiction writer could not have devised a more colorful cast of characters than Sherry & Benny Hodges, Roger & Carol Epperson, and Donald Bartley, yet this gang is only too real. In their various attempts to grab the brass ring through largely ill gotten gains, they ultimately end up doing the unthinkable. The male contingent of the gang embarks on their mission to relieve Dr. Roscoe Acker, a beloved local physician, of the reported millions tucked away in his home safe. Tragically, things go too far. Daughter Tammy, home by chance from college, is stabbed repeatedly, and left to die at her sobbing father's feet. Meanwhile, Epperson, Hodge, and Bartley make off with approx. $1.9 million in moldy old bills amassed over the doctor's long career. Despite advice from Sherry, the brains of the outfit, to lay low and not draw attention to themselves, the rest of the gang is unable to resist flashing their cash and shopping like there is no tomorrow. Inevitably, their lack of discretion leads to their capture. By convincing larger-than-life local attorney Lester Burns to represent them, yet another fascinating "story within the story" is relayed when he succumbs to temptation and falls from grace. Unwisely deciding to accept a fee in cash that he undoubtedly must know was part of the proceeds from the robbery, Burns drowns in an ethical quagmire of his own making that deprives him of his very liberty.True crime tends to have loose ends--rarely is a case tied up in a neat package by the end--and this one is no exception. Although it was clear that these people were reponsible for the Acker robbery and murder, I was not at all convinced that Benny Hodge killed Dr. Acker's daughter, Tammy. It seemed far more likely that Donnie Bartley was responsible for this senseless homicide, yet he managed to place blame on the others to save his own skin. Bartley's ability to dodge responsibility was not the most satisfactory outcome, but the unanswered questions about the sequence of events made the story that much more compelling for the reader.I highly recommend this book, and this author. Darcy O'Brien does not disappoint!

Darcy O'Brien did a exhausive amount of research on the subject, which provides the foundation for a well written book. It doesn't hurt that the main players in the robbery-murder crime are perfect for a TV movie. O'Brien does not paint the gang members as good or [bad], rather he simply tells the individual stories woven into the collective plot about the crime and provides the reader insight into the personal motives of the main players. You actually can't develop negative feelings toward the criminals because O'Brien is able to outline their human misconceptions and mistakes that brought about their downfall. The book is worth reading to anyone but I would imagine anyone from the Kentucky area where the crime took place would really enjoy the book.

Benny Hodge is my cousin and he got a stay of exacution i have read this book and would like to have a copy of my own i do not believe in credit cards so i cant order onlie please if anyone could help me out and sell me this book it would be greatly appreciated my e-mail is....

This is a true story of stealing, killing, loving, and living without remorse. A true story of corruption in small towns; lawyers, sheriffs, deputies and many more. The author, Darcy O'Brian did an excelent and unique job of potraying these people as the events unfolded. This book held my interest all the way to the end. There was not a dull moment. It's filled with unbelieveable acts of stealing and murder.