MCS Report #585
Classification: Homicide
Requesting Agency: Pacific Police Department
Date of Activation: 06/21/2015
Commander and Department: Lt. Gary Higginbotham, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Report Officer and Department: Lt. Darryl Balleydier, Washington PD
Deputy Report Officer and Department: Det. Wiliam Knittel, Eureka PD
Victims: Cory Andrew Dreiling and Elroy Mark Gretzmacher Jr.
Suspect: Aaron Ryan Hodges
The Pacific Police Department requested the assistance of the Major Case Squad in investigating the deaths of Cory Dreiling and Elroy “Mark” Gretzmacher Jr. At around 8:14pm, police officers were called to a residence in the 500 block of North Monroe Street, where the men were roommates, for a report of a murder that had just been discovered. One of the men’s mother had gone to their residence to check on their well-being after not hearing from her son. Inside the residence, police found the bodies of Cory Dreiling (age 26) and Elroy Mark Gretzmacher Jr (age 35). They were both dead from stab wounds.
As a result of the investigation, Dreiling’s and Gretzmacher’s neighbor, Aaron Hodges (age 22), was charged with two counts of Murder 1st Degree and two counts of Armed Criminal Action. His bond was set at $1,000,000 cash only.
