A Loving Father

James Roy Hudachek may be only 28 years old, but his friendly personality has earned him many fans his small home town. James was a creative thinker, had a kind heart, and was always ready to help others. He was married to a woman with four children from a previous marriage, and was a patient, caring husband and father, the only one the kids ever knew. In addition to full-time employment, James invested himself as a part-time pastor and spiritual leader, held in high esteem by the local community.

Texas police commenced a search for James Hudachek on Saturday, September 4th, 2004. Based on preliminary information, he appeared to have abducted his 12-year-old stepdaughter, Jami. The night before Jami's mom went to a sporting event with friends, leaving Jami and her 9-year-old twin brothers with their stepfather. When Jami's older sister came home late that evening, she discovered the twins alone, with James and Jami nowhere to be found.

The next morning Jami's mother filed a 'Missing Persons' report. Later that day she discovered a letter written by her husband, expressing romantic feelings for her 12-year-old daughter and stating he wishes Jami were his wife. Jami's mother informed police that James was sexually abused as a child. This piece of information escalated the detectives' concerns: untreated victims of childhood sexual abuse often tend to similarly exploit children as adults, unaware of the full atrocity of their actions.

When Hudachek's truck was found abandoned at work early on Tuesday morning, authorities issued an Amber Alert. They were now looking for Hudachek and Jami in a black 2000 Ford Focus with dealer tags that were about to expire.

The car was spotted in a parking lot of an Oklahoma City motel on the morning of September 15th. Police discovered Jami Hicks unharmed in the motel room. Not so Hudachek; when he realized they were surrounded, he put a gun to his temple and took his life.

The above account is based on a true story. Background checks protect peaceful citizens from being deceived and/or harmed by a cunning criminal.