The conditions of Rocky Dodson’s pre-trial release have been modified for a second time.
The 53-year-old Dodson, a former high school principal and head basketball coach at Omaha, is accused of killing his then 36-year-old wife, Amanda.
Initially, Dodson was ordered not to leave the counties making up the 14th Judicial District — Baxter, Boone, Marion and Newton.
According to electronic court records, the new modification approved late last week will allow Dodson to leave the four county judicial district as “medically necessary,” including to make doctor’s appointments and for surgical procedures.
The first modification approved in July last year gave Dodson permission to leave district boundries to meet with his attorney, Shane Wilkinson, in Bentonville.
A jury trial is now set for May 22 in Harrison.
MURDER REPORTED
Boone County sheriff’s deputies were called to the Dodson residence along Stonegate Drive in Omaha March 6 last year where Amanda Dodson’s body was found on the living room floor.
Amanda Christine Dodson was born in Mountain Home and held jobs in the Omaha and Cotter School Districts.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the woman’s body “displayed severe bruising on the legs, arms and areas of the upper torso.”
Rocky Dodson contacted 911. He claimed he discovered his wife deceased when he woke up about 9 a.m., March 6, 2022. He told investigators his wife had returned home in the early morning hours and that he had let her into the house, put her on a couch and went back to the couple’s bedroom.
In the probable cause affidavit, Rocky Dodson paints a somewhat unflattering picture of his wife — telling investigators she was a chronic alcoholic, among other things.
He did admit that he was the only one in the house with his wife at the time of the murder. In a summary of of the evidence gathered in the case, investigators opined that “Rocky Dodson was the only person present who had the ability to inflict the blow on Amanda Dodson that caused her death.”
MEDICAL EXAMINER’S REPORT
The woman’s body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Little Rock. The doctor who conducted the autopsy reported she had “found extensive bruising and hemorrhaging at the front of the neck, severe swelling completely through the neck muscles in the area of the Adam’s apple as well as fractured, broken and crushed tracheal cartilage.”
The doctor said in her opinion the blow to the neck would have immediately caused the victim “severe distress.” She said the injuries would have led the victim to have significant breathing problems due to a sharp reduction in the intake of oxygen
In addition, the injuries would have caused the victim to wheeze, cough or gurgle. The physician said anyone present at the scene should have been aware that the victim was in serious distress. Investigators said Rocky Dodson did not mention noticing his wife in any distress.
The doctor concluded that Amanda Dodson’s death resulted from “blunt force trauma.”
Dodson has entered a not guilty plea to the murder charge and is free on $250,000 bond.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI