solving a murder

THE ONLY WITNESS

The boy you just heard is 4-year-old Dameon Huffman.
Just one hour before this police interview was recorded, Dameon was living a quiet, happy life with his grandparents in rural Ohio.
Raised by them since birth, Dameon was their whole world — and they were his.
But on March 27, 2003, everything changed—when Damien showed up at the front door of his daycare alone— covered in blood.
No one knew what to make of those words— until investigators went and checked on his grandparents and saw both of them dead in their beds.
With no suspects and no clear motive.
This murder in Ohio might have remained a mystery — if not for one clever 4-year-old boy who pretended to be sleeping and became the only living witness. He saw something he shouldn’t have — something that could solve the case... but could also cost him his life.

LIFE ON THE FARM

It’s 2003. In the quiet rural town of Bradford, Ohio, 4-year-old Dameon lives with his great grandparents, Jack and Linda Myers, and his mother Amber, on their 40-acre farm. Amber was just a teen when she had Dameon in late 1998, so without hesitation, her grandparents Jack and Linda, still full of energy, opened their home to Amber and her new son. They gave her a place to stay and helped raise Dameon as their own.

Jack and Linda had met later in life, blending their families when they got married in their fifties. Together, they ran a small pizza shop, and quickly became pillars in their tight-knit community.

Family meant everything to them. Their home was always full of kids, grandkids, and the smell of home cooked food during frequent big family dinners.

Life was good for the Myers. Amber, now an adult, recently got married and was able to live in her own home, finally gaining the financial stability to fully support Dameon by herself: the plan was clear– after Dameon finishes preschool, he’ll officially move out to be with his mother, just 30 minutes away from Jack & Linda’s farm, and start kindergarten in his new neighbourhood.

THE FATEFUL MORNING

But on March 27th, 2003, things take a disturbing turn for the worse, when, at 9:15 AM, a 911 dispatcher in Ohio receives an unusual call.
On the other end, a preschool teacher frantically explains that a little boy has just arrived at daycare. He’s alone, in his pajamas – and he’s covered in blood.

The little boy is Dameon, who lives a mile down the road at the farm. The preschool teachers recognize him as one of their daycare’s students, and fear something terrible must have happened for him to run all the way here on his own.
Officers head straight to the Myers farm— but, they have no idea what to expect, and no one knows yet what’s happened to Dameon’s family. Fearing the worst, and with a class full of children nearby, the dispatcher orders the teachers to go into full lockdown.
The house is quiet. Too quiet. Guns drawn, the officers step through the front door, slowly making their way through the kitchen. Then, they push open the bedroom door. Their worst fears are confirmed when they discover two bodies on the bed, not moving, and covered in blood. They’re identified as Jack and Linda – Dameon’s grandparents.
Unsure if the killer might still be at the scene, officers quickly search the house, room by room. However, they confirm no one else is inside the home: the killer is still at large.
Back at the daycare, Dameon was placed under the care and supervision of police— his safety is the top priority. With no killer in custody and police just beginning their investigation, everyone is a suspect, even family: it’s not safe to let Dameon out of their sight.

A TOWN SHAKEN

Meanwhile, more officers arrive at Amber’s house, with the heartbreaking job of giving her the tragic news about what happened earlier in the day.
As Dameon remains hidden from his surviving family, for his own protection, news of the sudden murders reaches the town and the surrounding Darke County, leaving everyone shocked. Nothing like this has ever happened here, and the residents are on edge, wanting answers.
It seems like the only person who might know what actually happened, is a 4 yo child – seemingly the only witness.
But, before sharing Dameon’s side of the story, details from the crime scene & investigators are important to analyze.
Initially considered a burglary gone wrong, this theory is quickly debunked after an initial review of the farm.
Whatever happened at the Myers house isn’t a random act of violence – it’s a premeditated double homicide – it’s personal.
However, none of the Myers’ close connections turn up any promising leads – none of them, except for John.
John is a longtime family friend, and an outgoing next-door neighbor to the Myers.

UNLIKELY SUSPECTS

John seems suspicious of Gregg Myers. Gregg isn’t just anyone—he’s Jack’s own son from his first marriage.
However, everyone close to the family finds it hard to imagine Gregg as a suspect: the 25-year-old had just been the best man at his father’s wedding to Linda. He’s polite, friendly, and spent a large amount of his childhood at the farm with his family.
With no criminal history, Gregg is, by all accounts, the opposite of a typical suspect. With a family of his own, and no known issues with any of the victims, he seems like the last person who would be involved in something as horrific as this.
However unlikely a suspect he may seem, Gregg is still brought into the station for questioning.

When asked about where he was at the time of his father and stepmother’s murder, he provides a solid alibi: he was at work that morning—30 miles away— even providing a stamped timesheet. Gregg also wears shoes two sizes larger than footprints found at the crime scene. Throughout the interrogation, Gregg is cooperative and expresses a strong desire to help, even enthusiastically offering to take a lie detector test. Police were even personally allowed to search his home.
Although the current evidence seems like a dead end, 4-year-old Dameon, the young boy who ran to get help on the day of the murders, still has his side of the story to tell.

THE BOY WHO LIVED

In the early morning hours of March 27th, 2003, Dameon woke up on his own–this was unusual since normally his grandparents were there to get him ready for preschool. At only four years old, Dameon knew something wasn’t right that morning. Worried he would be late for school, he made his way downstairs to check on his grandparents.

The horrifying scene was something no child should ever have to see, or should even have the words to describe. To the young Dameon, the tragedy of his grandparents in front of him was impossible to make sense of. The only way he found to process it, was to assume his grandparents were "melting." The words he spoke left the detectives stunned, having to take a few moments to collect their thoughts. As the full weight of what Dameon said began to settle in: the detectives knew what this meant.

The little boy grabbed a tissue and attempted to tend to his grandfather's injuries, but it was too late.

Jack and Dameon were an inseparable duo, and Dameon knew his grandpa would never have given up on him. Neither would his grandma. Dameon decided to muster up his courage, and do the same for his grandparents.

The little boy grabbed the phone tightly and dialed 911, but nothing happened—the line was dead, silent. As it turned out, the killer had cut the phone lines to make sure no one could call for help. Dameon looked around the room, trying to find another solution to help his family. Remembering his daycare wasn’t too far from the farm, he immediately headed out the front door and started to run — over a mile down the road to his daycare, the one place he believed he could find help, where adults should be.

THE DOLL HOUSE

With Dameon’s recounting of the story, there’s an inconsistency in his retelling, versus the evidence at the farm. In reality, blood was also found in Dameon’s bedroom.

Either the 4 year old is misremembering the events of that morning, or there’s more to the truth that he hasn’t yet revealed.

They come up with a different approach to go through everything again. Using a bit of ingenuity, they craft the layout of the farmhouse with a model home and dolls, hoping the props will help Dameon open up further.

As Dameon acts out his movements around the house that morning, he reveals that, while he was asleep in his bedroom, before going downstairs to check on his grandparents; there was a stranger in the house.

With one eye opened, to his horror, Dameon realized that it wasn’t one of his grandparents walking into his bedroom. It was a dark figure, a stranger, dressed in a green jumpsuit, holding a shotgun.

THE RIVER'S SECRETS

As it turns out, just 5 miles away from the house, in the Stillwater river, cops recover a 12-gauge shotgun, with the serial number sanded off to prevent police from finding the owner – however, it’s very similar to the weapon described in Dameon’s testimony.

Detectives review a local newspaper where people buy and sell firearms. There, they find an older listing for a shotgun that matches the exact model of the weapon recovered from the river, and listed on March 25, – exactly 2 days before Dameon survived the murders. With this lead, detectives are able to trace the ad to the gun’s original owner.

The name shocks the investigators. Since the beginning, Gregg seemed like the most unlikely suspect, as a close family member to Dameon himself, and to the victims. Detectives dig into Gregg's past, looking for any signs of motive, and they uncover something concerning. Gregg had been struggling at work, and his finances were in serious trouble.

But, after looking into their insurance policies, cops discover that Gregg would inherit the farm if his parents died. Suddenly, the motive for murder becomes clear, and Gregg is now the prime suspect in his father's and step-mother’s murders.

Only days after the murder, Gregg is taken back into the station for questioning, this time with a more direct approach. They ask him about the will and the inheritance, pressing him on whether his financial trouble could have played a role in his parents' deaths. Gregg is calm, but the tension in the room is clear. The detectives are determined to find out what really happened.

THE FINAL EVIDENCE

With only circumstantial evidence pointing to Gregg, though, a first degree murder charge will be tough to prove in court.

However, upon later searches of the river where they had uncovered the shotgun, comes something even more disturbing: a suspicious floating trashbag, tied shut. Inside the bag is one item perfectly matching Dameon’s description: a green jumpsuit.

The bag also contains more damning evidence: latex gloves with a fingerprint on it later matched to Gregg, 12-gauge slugs exactly like those used in the murders and tennis shoes two and a half sizes smaller than Gregg’s feet, but exactly like the footprints found at the window where the killer entered the farmhouse.

In April of 2004, Gregg Myers goes on trial for the first degree murders of his father, Jack, and stepmother, Linda. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Myers pleads not guilty. His entire family filled the courtroom—sisters, brothers, and family friends who had once gathered for joyful family occasions. Now, they sat in shock, witnessing the man they thought they knew, on trial for murder.

Gregg Myers is sentenced to two life terms without the chance of parole.

A FAMILY LEGACY

With Gregg Myers convicted and justice finally served, Dameon’s long nightmare finally comes to an end.

During the investigation, Dameon was kept from his mother, and with his grandparents gone, it was difficult to stay strong, but detectives worked tirelessly to uncover the truth, save Dameon, and make sure his family got justice. The 4-year-old showed immense bravery for such a young boy, inspiring everyone around him.
Dameon was able to reunite with his mother, Amber— and in a bittersweet turn of events, fulfilled the plan she had made with her family that same year of the murders.
The little boy finally moves in with her, and starts kindergarten at his new school– supported by the loving memory of his grandparents. Jack and Linda were the heart and soul of the family, the glue that blended their family and kept them united. In their own way, they found strength in each other—a love and closeness that doesn’t always follow the rules of a typical family, but still holds throughout time, and any adversity. The Myers’ legacy lives on through Dameon himself—now a young man, he carries forward the love, strength, and spirit his grandparents instilled in him. Despite the darkness of the past, he honors them with every step, making his family proud.

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A boy who saved his baby sister from unimaginable tragedy:The Case of Andrew Hockensmith

Credits:

Written, directed & edited by Matthew Rice

Researched by Manon Lafosse

Voiceover by William Akana

Produced by Alexandra Salois & Salim Sader

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Sources:

“The Green Monster”, American Monster, Discovery+, 2017 (Arrow Media)

“A Dragon in the Farmhouse”, In Ice Cold Blood, Oxygen Network, 2021. (Asylum Entertainment & Final Level Entertainment)

“The Green Dragon”, On the Case with Paula Zahn: Discovery+, 2014. (Investigation Discovery & Scott Sternberg Productions, Inc.)

“The Green Dragon”, Solved: Investigation Discovery, 2009 (Digital Ranch)

“In the Bag”, Forensic Files: Film Rise & Tru TV, 2008, (Medstar Television)

“Greg Must Choose Life In Prison or Death”, Red Tree Stories: Youtube, 2023 (Youtube)