Father of Slain Girl Ends Vigil at Her Grave by Taking Own Life

Wallace Scott Mann spent an all-day vigil Monday at the grave of his slain 7-year-old daughter in the Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall, sometimes sitting near the grave, sometimes watching it from his car.

A cemetery worker saw him use red paint to fill in the lines of the happy face and the heart carved on the stone that marks where Sara Nan Hodges lies.

The worker saw Mann paint the petals of the roses carved on the tombstone next to an inscription that reads in part, “Sarie’s magic is everlasting as is our love. Mom & Dad.”

And then, sometime during the night, according to authorities, Mann, 36, of Ojai, took a shotgun from his car, pointed the barrel at his head and fired, falling dead across the grave.

His body was found Tuesday morning, next to a note expressing his love for his daughter.

The blonde-haired girl was found strangled March 26 in a neighbor’s home in Newhall after authorities and residents mounted an extensive three-day search for her.

At the time of Sara’s slaying, Mann had been separated from his wife, Linda Hodges, and their daughter for more than three years.

Authorities and acquaintances said his daughter’s death and the breakup of his marriage had left Mann emotionally distraught.

A cemetery worker turning on water sprinklers Tuesday morning saw the body slumped across the grave.

Around Mann’s body were several wilted roses and other flowers, apparently left by previous visitors to the grave. There was also Mann’s note.

“It was just a little note that said, ‘I love you’ and other things,” said coroner’s investigator Dean Sebree. “It’s a little bit rambling, but there’s nothing that says, ‘I am going to commit suicide,’ and it didn’t name the girl. It says he cared deeply for her, words to that effect.”

Mann lived with a sister and brother-in-law in Ojai where, according to Hodges, a second note was found that more specifically detailed his grief over his separation from his family and the death of Sara.

Second Note

Hodges said the second note read, “When they took away the visitation rights, they took half my life. When he killed her, he took away the other half.”

Mann’s sister and brother-in-law could not be reached for comment, and authorities could not confirm that a second note was found.

Sara was reported missing by her family March 23, after disappearing while playing near her home on Alderbrook Drive.

Sheriff’s deputies conducted a brief house-to-house search in the area, and the Sheriff’s Department later organized searches, involving several local residents, of the undeveloped areas near the girl’s home.

But her body was not found until a woman living five doors from Sara’s house investigated a bad odor in her residence and found the girl’s body hidden in the bedroom of a 14-year-old guest, Curtis Cooper, who is currently awaiting trial in Juvenile Court on a murder charge.

Sara’s death touched the community deeply. Nearly 100 people attended her funeral, and members of the community contributed $30,000 to her family.

Hodges later said she and her other daughter, Tisha Gates, 16, will donate the money to a program for children with behavioral problems.

Court Order

Hodges said that in recent years, Mann had not been in contact with Sara because Hodges had obtained a court order barring his visits. Hodges said she left her husband because he was “emotionally unstable.”

She said Mann told her his problems were rooted in his childhood, during which he said he had been abused, but she declined to elaborate.

Hodges said she believed that “it was best for the kids” to be away from him.

“I knew he loved Sara very much, but some loves are harmful,” she said.

In the years after their separation, Hodges said, Mann became a devout Christian and contacted her periodically and requested to see his daughter. She said that in recent months, Mann had been working for his brother-in-law, but it was unclear what his job was.

Though separated for about four years, Hodges said she did not move to make the divorce final until recently.

She said the divorce was expected to be granted this month and may already have been finalized. That may have contributed to Mann’s sense of loss of his family, Hodges said.

Legal Papers

Authorities said legal papers regarding the couple’s divorce were found in Mann’s car at the cemetery, but they did not know if the divorce was completed.

“He led an unhappy, troubled life. And he loved Sara,” Hodges said. “It is hard on all of us. Maybe it was just too hard for Wally. Maybe he couldn’t go on without her, or maybe he wanted to be closer to her.

“I feel sad that there is so much pain and so much anguish. And now there is more.”

Times staff writer Hector Tobar contributed to this story