A 32-year-old former father who killed his three children said his ‘crimes are unforgivable’ in court Friday morning, where he testified in front of his wife and other family members.
Robert Hodges, from Sacramento, California, sobbed as he apologized to his family for ‘destroying the life we built together and taking the lives of our children,’ in the September 2017 killing spree.
Hodges pleaded guilty in December to murdering his three children – Kelvin, 11, Julie, 9, and Lucas, 7 months – and to attempting to kill his wife, Mai Sheng Hodges, in their apartment on September 13.
‘I’ll spend the rest of my life begging Kelvin, Julie, Lucas, Mai Sheng and God for forgiveness,’ Hodges said during his testimony.
His admission and apology came just hours before he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Robert Hodges, from Sacramento, California, sobbed as he apologized to his family for ‘destroying the life we built together and taking the lives of our children,’ in a shocking confession after the September 2017 killing spree (Hodges is pictured Friday in court)
Hodges pleaded guilty in December to murdering his three children – Kelvin (second from the left), 11, Julie (second from the right), 9, and Lucas, 7 months – and to attempting to kill his wife, Mai Sheng Hodges (far right), in their apartment on September 13
‘I’ll spend the rest of my life begging Kelvin (left), Julie (right), Lucas (center), Mai Sheng and God for forgiveness,’ Hodges said during his testimony
‘God may forgive you, but this court does not,’ Judge David Rosenberg said during the sentencing, referring to the man as a ‘serial killer of his own children.’
Rosenberg also said it was the ‘darkest, most depraved case’ he’d ever worked on.
Investigators who responded to the scene said in a preliminary hearing testimony that Hodges admitted to suffocating his youngest child and told them he was in a deep financial crisis.
The investigators also said he told them he surprised the two older children from behind and strangled each of them with a leather belt in the following hours.
He said he planned on killing his wife and then committing suicide, according to the Bee.
His admission and apology came just hours before he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the Sacramento Bee reported
Investigators who responded to the scene said in a preliminary hearing testimony that Hodges admitted to suffocating his youngest child and told them he was in a deep financial crisis
Hodges attempted to commit suicide by throwing himself into the water south of West Sacramento. When he failed to drown he swam back to shore and was met by police.
Detective Eric Palmer said during the preliminary hearing in October that he met Hodges just after the failed suicide attempt when he was soaking wet and in the back of a police cruiser.
Days after the vicious attacks, Mai Hodges wrote a Facebook post to say her husband was never physically abusive towards her, according to KCR
He said that hours later during interrogation Hodges admitted to killing the children. Hodges also told Palmer that he waited for his wife to come home so he could kill her, too.
When she got home and Hodges attempted to strangle her with the belt he said she fought back and begged for mercy, according to Palmer.
Hodges also told Palmer during the interrogation that the International Revenue Service (IRS) was after the family for back taxes. He said their credit cards were maxed out and that he’d been thinking about killing himself and his family for a year, according to the Bee.
The former father had no prior criminal record other than minor traffic violations, according to court records.
Days after the vicious attacks, Mai Hodges wrote a Facebook post to say her husband was never physically abusive towards her, according to KCRA.
‘He had always been a caring and loving person,’ she wrote.
‘But for whatever reason went his mind, heart do do this, I can never imagine why. I ask myself everyday, “why?”‘