A Pasco County man was released from death row this week after Florida Supreme Court overturned his murder conviction.
Derral Hodgkins, 55, was convicted of the 2006 murder of his ex-girlfriend Teresa Lodge. Lodge was beaten and her throat was slashed, according to prosecutors. Even though Hodgkins changed his story to detectives, the Supreme Court decided the state had little to no evidence to charge Hodgkins with the crime.
Now the sexual offender is living on Loras Street in New Port Richey, where neighbors were stunned to learn of his arrival. They wondered why they were not notified by the state.
The Department of Corrections says only victims or people who sign up to be notified of the release would be notified of Hodgkin's new address.
Hodgkins was also convicted of a crime in the late 1980's, where he raped and beat a 12-year-old girl and left her for dead. He spent almost two decades in prison before he was released, and was set to be on probation for life.
However, two years later, Hodgkins was arrested for the murder. When he was sentenced to death, a judge took away his lifetime probation because it wasn't needed.
Now, Hodgkins is not on any type of probation for his previous crimes, although he is required to register as a sexual offender.
Under current law, he would be classified as a sexual predator, however when the crime was committed, there was no such thing as a sexual predator under the law.
Hodgkins jumped in a vehicle and drove off when Bay News 9 tried to talk to him about his new found freedom.
Neighbors also say two children live in the home Hodgkins is now calling home. DCF and the Department of Corrections says Hodgkins has no restrictions about where he can live or who he can live with because he is no longer on probation.