“He is a nasty, nasty, evil particular person,” mentioned Sheriff Grady Judd, who claimed suspect Stephen Lee Rodda had a historical past of meth use and “psychotic episodes.”
A 16-year-old boy is useless and his personal father has been arrested for homicide, after the teenager was killed with a “fairly heavy obligation noticed” on Labor Day in Florida.
Throughout a press convention on Monday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd revealed 37-year-old Stephen Thomas Rodda was arrested for the slaying of his teen son Stephen Rodda. In keeping with Judd, the boy was staying along with his grandfather to “assist him out” whereas his grandmother was in rehab; his father, the suspect, had “no place else to go” and confirmed up “a few month in the past.”
On Monday, the grandfather went to go to his spouse and returned residence to seek out his son in entrance of his Lake Wales cell residence. Rodda allegedly instructed his father, “I would not go in there if I used to be you. I killed somebody. You could must name the police.”
Listed below are photographs of 16 yr previous Stephen Lee Rodda, supplied to PCSO from the household. Stephen is standing in the midst of his brothers and sister. His brothers’ names are Matthew and Logan, and his sister’s identify is Elizabeth. pic.twitter.com/4kam6olIYv
— Polk County Sheriff ? Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) September 4, 2023
@PolkCoSheriff
Whereas the grandfather instructed police “it was not unusual for his son to speak weird” contemplating his alleged historical past of methamphetamine use and psychotic episodes, he went inside the house and located his grandson useless within the eating room. Police consider an angle grinder, or “fairly heavy obligation noticed,” was used to kill the teenager.
Although Rodda “fled the scene” after speaking to his father, mentioned Judd, he was apprehended a few mile away. “Once we took him into custody, he instructed our deputy, ‘You most likely wish to learn me my rights,'” mentioned Judd, “and that is precisely what we did.”
“It breaks our coronary heart. There aren’t enough phrases to elucidate how horrific this occasion is,” mentioned Judd. “To have this nugatory particular person homicide his son is inexplicable.”
“We do not know but why Stephen Thomas Rodda attacked and murdered his son,” Judd continued, saying that whereas Rodda’s household mentioned he had a historical past of substance use, they do not know whether or not he was on medication when he allegedly killed his son. “The world misplaced an awesome younger man as we speak and we have got an evil, evil man in custody and we’re gonna do our greatest to see he spends the remainder of his life in jail,” he continued.
Authorities additionally mentioned Rodda lately frolicked in South Carolina, Washington DC, Ohio and Texas — and even had an impressive warrant for his arrest in South Carolina. Judd mentioned he had a felony historical past everywhere in the United States, saying, “This man has been nothing however an issue to society for a really very long time.”
“We do not know why he did what he did as we speak, apart from he is a nasty, nasty, evil particular person,” he continued.
Talking in regards to the sufferer, Judd mentioned {the teenager} was learning to be an electrician and was set to start out work at Burger King subsequent week to earn cash to purchase a automobile. He was within the eleventh grade and remembered by his household as a “nice child.”
“He was only a standup, stellar younger man,” he mentioned, including that his household is simply “devastated,” “heartbroken” and “do not perceive” why he was murdered. “The household is simply in absolute complete shock,” he concluded.
