Mother of Crystal Lake woman found dead in North Carolina seek answers after 2 tragedies

The mother of Caitlin Hodges – the Crystal Lake woman who went missing last year and whose remains were identified this month – said she hopes authorities in North Carolina are able to figure out how she died and who could be responsible.

“She was so beautiful. She had a beautiful soul,” Diane Hodges told the Northwest Herald, speaking of Caitlin, who was 29 was the youngest of Diane Hodges’ three daughters.

The news that Caitlin’s skeletal remains had been positively identified by authorities in Wayne County, North Carolina, came weeks after the death of another of Diane and Bill Hodges’ daughters, Jessica, who left behind three children.

The loss of the two daughters has been “devastating,” Diane Hodges said. She and her husband are caring for one of their grandchildren. She said Jessica’s death was unexpected and the family is still waiting for a determination of cause.

Caitlin – who attended and graduated early from Crystal Lake Central High School – had traveled to North Carolina with her boyfriend “but that didn’t work out,” her mother said. The family stopped hearing from her sometime after that, Diane Hodges said.

Caitlin was reported missing last summer, and remains were found in November that eventually were positively linked to Caitlin, after an earlier determination that the remains were not a match, according to Wayne County authorities. Diane Hodges said she’s heard little from the authorities in North Carolina about their investigation but she believes foul play has occurred.

The family plans a May 9 memorial in Crystal Lake for Caitlin.