The heartbroken loved ones of a man who was brutally stabbed to death at a Fourth of July street party have revealed he was just two months away from marrying his longtime girlfriend.
Eric Hodges, 42, was stabbed in the heart and was one of five people stabbed by suspected killer Logan Christopher Kelley, 26, who went on a rampage shortly before midnight.
Prosecutors said Kelley was drunk and under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs when he stabbed Hodges and another man, William Thomas Collins, 47, to death. The other three victims are expected to survive.
in a GoFundMe Created after Eric’s death, a friend said he and his fiancée Jourdan were “best friends connected at the hip,” and were just weeks away from their wedding after 17 years of dating.
Eric Hodges, 42, was killed in a horrific stabbing spree on July 4, leaving his fiancée and partner of 17 years, Jourdan (pictured together), heartbroken.
Authorities said it appears Kelley randomly approached a group of people who were watching the fireworks from the street when chaos broke out.
During the attack, Eric was stabbed in the heart and Collins was stabbed in the lung and neck; both men were tragically declared dead at the scene.
Kelley also allegedly stabbed two 35-year-old men, as well as the 68-year-old father of one of the wounded men, and was only stopped when witnesses, including a 16-year-old boy, tackled him and detained him.
On GoFundMe, Eric’s friend Ajay Patel said the 42-year-old lost his life “at the hands of a random act of violence that is inexcusable” and his death left the community in shock.
“The world lost a wonderful young man and heaven gained an angel,” Patel wrote.
‘Eric Hodges was one of the most caring, genuine, intelligent and loyal human beings to grace us with his presence.
“Everyone who knew him described him as the life of the party and a bright light. Always upbeat and making people laugh. He was a very happy person ALL THE TIME.”
A victim of a random attack is taken away as law enforcement officers investigate the scene at the corner of 16th Street and Pecan Avenue in Huntington Beach.
Authorities said it does not appear Kelley had any connection to the victims and authorities have not indicated a motive (the scene is photographed on July 5, the day after the attack).
The knifeman’s rampage only ended when heroic witnesses, including a 16-year-old boy, tackled him and restrained him.
He said Eric’s fiancée and girlfriend of 17 years, Jourdan, along with their friends and family, “will be dealing with a heartbreaking time in their lives” after witnessing the horrific stabbing spree.
Law enforcement has not indicated a motive for the stabbings, which occurred on a street just blocks from the waterfront where the city held its Fourth of July fireworks event.
Authorities said they do not believe Kelley had any connection to the victims.
When he was taken to the ground, Kelley struggled and fought against witnesses holding him down, leading to additional charges of assault, spitting on a police officer and using a racial slur while being arrested.
Kelley was charged under a provision known as “special circumstance multiple murders,” under which, if convicted, he could be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.
Witness Deeandre Adams was visiting friends on July 4 at the scene of the incident when she said a man pulled up in a car, jumped out and began stabbing everyone.
Kelley faces a number of charges, including murder and assault, and could be eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole if convicted.
Deeandre Adams was visiting friends on the 4th at the scene of the attack and was friends with the two men killed.
“It’s sad. It was horrible,” she told the LA Times.
He said a man pulled up in a car, jumped out and started stabbing everyone around him.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned the incident at a news conference, saying that “a day of celebrating America and all the freedoms we all enjoy was turned into deadly chaos at the hands of a stranger.” “As Americans, we should be able to enjoy spending time with our friends and family without worrying about being brutally stabbed in the street in a random attack.”
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