Douglas County judge rules woman accused of murdering two men will go to trial

By TV Staff

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — A Douglas County judge ruled Wednesday that Erika Mims will stand trial. Mims is facing multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree assault.

Prosecutors allege Mims planned the murders of LaRon Hodges and Lamar Nedd. In court Wednesday, Douglas County Deputy Bryan O’Malley testified that text messages appeared to show Hodges harassing Mims.

O’Malley said Mims exchanged text messages with both men a few days prior to their deaths.

O’Malley said Mims didn’t pay much attention to Hodges until early February when she invited him over. The deputy says Mims shot Hodges as he was sitting on her bed, he fell, and she continued to shoot him until he died. He alleges Hodges was stripped and dumped in a trash can in an impound lot off 66th and Ames. Officers found his body in March.

The deputy also revealed new allegations in the murder of Lamar Nedd. O’Malley testified in court that he was shot while lying on Mims’ bed. The deputy alleges Mims stripped Nedd, wrapped his body in a rug and put him in a storage closet and then kept it there for days.

“At some point after the murder, miss Mims then assisted in cutting up the mattress and bedframe that Mr. Nedd was killed on and disposed of them and his clothing by burning them,” O’Malley testified.

Mims is accused of dumping Nedd’s body on Rainwood Road near 75th. Officers found his body there last August.

In court, the deputy testified both victims’ clothes were burned. He alleged Erykha Wilson, who’s charged as an accessory in the case, spoke to investigators about the murders. Wilson allegedly told investigators she lived with Mims and bought the two AR-style guns used in the murders. O’Malley says both weapons were taken apart and put in different areas around the metro, including the Missouri River. She allegedly told investigators she drove Mims around as she disposed of the parts.

Deputy O’Malley also testified that Mims asked Kenneth Smith, her boyfriend at the time, to help with the disposal in the crimes. Smith is charged as an accessory to first-degree murder in Hodges’ death.

Mims is also accused of shooting and injuring Ronald Townsend at an apartment complex in Maple Street in March. O’Malley testified that Omaha Police originally responded to the shooting but Townsend was not cooperative.

O’Malley said DCSO followed up with Townsend later on and he told investigators he knew who shot him.

“We showed him the most recent photo of Erika Mims that we had, when he saw the photo, he said that’s her and he identified her by E,” O’Malley said in court.

Douglas County Public Defender Thomas Riley was on Mim’s defense team Wednesday. He pointed out most of the evidence in Hodge’s case came from Wilson. He also argued there isn’t enough evidence to move forward with a first-degree attempted assault charge.

Riley asked the judge to reduce the charge to second degree.

The judge ruled there was enough probable cause to continue with the current charges. No trial date has been set.

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