A jury trial is scheduled to begin early next year in Jefferson County for a man accused of holding his wife and children hostage for more than an hour in a home east of De Soto. He also allegedly shot and killed two dogs in the house after the woman and children were allowed to leave, according to court documents.
A three-day trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 6, 2027, for Aaron Michael Hills, 38, in Jefferson County Court. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Dec. 1, court records show.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Hills with three felony counts of first-degree kidnapping, three felony counts of armed criminal action, one felony count of second-degree domestic assault and two misdemeanor counts of animal abuse, court records said.
He was arrested on June 4, and is being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, according to jail and court records.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Tiffany Baker is prosecuting the case.
According to the case’s probable-cause statement, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called just before 8 p.m. June 3 to home east of De Soto after a woman reported that Hills had held her and the couple’s two children in their home for hours. The woman said Hills pointed gun at her several times while in the house and assaulted her.
The woman said she and Hills argued about him drinking, and he pushed her into a stove and microwave before getting a gun and placing it on a kitchen table. The woman said she asked to leave the home with the children, and Hills initially said she could leave but not the children before telling her no one was allowed to leave the house, the report said.
Hills allegedly placed the woman in a chokehold and dragged her through the home at one point, and he took her cellphone and destroyed one of the children’s cellphones and the other child’s tablet, according to the report.
The woman was able to temporary get away from Hills and went upstairs to try to use a smartwatch to summon police officers. However, Hills followed her and allegedly pointed a gun at her back and ordered her not to leave his presence again, the report said.
Hills also allegedly arranged for alcohol to be delivered to the home, and he held the woman at gunpoint as she answered the door to accept the delivery. The woman was able to signal to the delivery person that she needed help, and detectives contacted the delivery person who told them the woman had requested assistance, according to the report.
Hills allowed the woman and children to leave after the alcohol was delivered. They went to a neighbor’s home, where the woman called the police, the report said.
While at the neighbor’s home, the woman said she heard at least two gunshots coming from the house that Hills was still in, and a deputy also reported hearing gunshots from the home, according to the report.
SWAT members responded to the home that Hills was inside, and after about 20 minutes, he surrendered to authorities. When SWAT members went inside the home, they found large amounts of blood and two dead dogs, the report said.
Hills allegedly admitted that he shot and killed two of three dogs that were in the house. Investigators allegedly found nine bullet shells and numerous bullet holes throughout the home, according to the report.