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Woman found dead at Ceres trailer park with three-quarters of her face missing
CERES, Feb 15, 2012 (The Modesto Bee - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Police detectives on Wednesday were searching for clues in the death of a woman who was found dead with three-quarters of her face missing.
Leslie Hodge, 55, was found dead on the floor of her bedroom at the Voyager's Cove Mobile home Park on Hatch Road, according to Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges.
A friend found Hodge Sunday and called police. Borges said the last time anyone saw her alive was Feb. 7.
Detectives found no sign of forced entry or other signs of foul play. But Hodge's face had been mutilated to a state of being unrecognizable.
Investigators found two dogs in the home as well a large amount of feces from both dogs and rats. At first glance it appeared animals caused the woman's injuries, Borges said.
He said there were numerous bottles of prescription medication in the house and other indicators that Hodge's death was not a homicide.
But during an autopsy Tuesday the forensic pathologist examining Hodge stopped midway when he concluded the injuries to her face were not caused by animals but some kind of an "instrument," according to Borges.
Detectives went back to the scene to canvas the area, interview witnesses and search for more clues.
On Wednesday a second forensic pathologist picked up were the other left off and came up with an entirely different conclusion. He believes it was the animals that caused the injuries, Borges said.
The two pathologists remain at odds and Hodge's cause of death is inconclusive pending toxicology results, which could take four to six months.
Detectives are treating Hodge's passing as a suspicious death.
The Ceres Police Department asks anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Derek Perry at (209) 538-5730 or the Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at (866) 602-7463 (60-CRIME).
___ (c)2012 The Modesto Bee (Modesto, Calif.) Visit The Modesto Bee (Modesto,
Calif.) at www.modbee.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
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