FL - Stephen Lee Rodda, 16, killed with an angle grinder by father, Lake Wales, Polk County, Sept 4, 2023

[PayrollNerd]

Florida father is charged with killing his teenage son in Polk County

Stephen Rodda, a 16-year-old Frostproof High student, was found dead at his grandparents’ home in Lake Wales.

www.tampabay.com

LAKES WALES — A 37-year-old father has been charged with killing his teenage son, who was found dead at his grandparents’ home in Polk County, authorities said Monday.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that Stephen Rodda, a 16-year-old 11th grader at Frostproof High School, had moved in with his 65-year-old grandfather, Thomas Rodda, a few months earlier.

The teen’s father, Stephen Thomas Rodda, showed up at the house on Old Bartow Road in Lake Wales about a month ago after bouncing around the country recently, Judd said.

When the grandfather returned home around 11 a.m. Monday, his son was waiting outside, advised him against going in and suggested that someone call the police, Judd said. The grandfather then found Stephen Rodda “deceased in the dining room area.”

The murder weapon is believed to be an angle grinder, a handheld tool that can cut through metal, Judd said.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Florida father accused of killing son, 16, with angle grinder

A father is behind bars after investigators say he killed his teenage son with a power tool in Lake Wales.

cbs12.com

The Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) says 37-year-old Stephen Thomas Rodda was arrested and charged on Monday for killing his 16-year-old son Stephen Lee Rodda with an angle grinder.

When the victim's grandfather entered his mobile home he found the victim, dead in the dining room.

The sheriff's office says Stephen Thomas Rodda had a long criminal history, including an arrest warrant in South Carolina. He also lived in other states like Texas, Washington D.C., and Ohio.

 

[PayrollNerd]

First-Degree Murder Charge Brought Against Father Who Killed Son

Stephen Thomas Rodda has been charged with first-degree murder after apparently killing his own 16-year-old son on Monday. Rodda, 37, was booked into the Polk County Jail Monday after he was arrested by Polk County Deputies and charged with killing the teen with an angle-grinder, a power tool...

www.lakewalesnews.net

Stephen Thomas Rodda has been charged with first-degree murder after apparently killing his own 16-year-old son on Monday. Rodda, 37, was booked into the Polk County Jail Monday after he was arrested by Polk County Deputies and charged with killing the teen with an angle-grinder, a power tool normally used to cut metal. He will have a first appearance hearing at 1:00 p.m. today, Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

"Rodda has a lengthy criminal history, with arrests in Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, and South Carolina," Judd said, along with a long history of methamphetamine abuse. Several of those arrests were in Polk County, he added.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Case : 2023CF007258A000XX
RODDA STEPHEN T

https://pro.polkcountyclerk.net/PRO/PublicSearch/Details/VJWDdR5gmHdXK1wnL7cE6vyLBU9X5YhZ4kCopFK75B8%3d

 

[nao]

Moo..that is so incredibly sad. An angle grinder! It is a small tool, you would have to be up close and determined to kill someone with that. Poor kid , poor grand dad....moo

 

[PayrollNerd]

Sheriff Grady Judd is briefing the media on Old Bartow Road in Lake Wales regarding the murder of a 16-year-old by his father. The father has been... | By Polk County Sheriff's Office | Facebook

Sheriff Grady Judd is briefing the media on Old Bartow Road in Lake Wales regarding the murder of a 16-year-old by his father. The father has been...

fb.watch

Sheriff Grady Judd is briefing the media on Old Bartow Road in Lake Wales regarding the murder of a 16-year-old by his father. The father has been arrested and charged.
The suspect is Stephen Thomas Rodda. The victim’s name was Stephen Lee Rodda and his family has given us permission to release his name.
The full news conference is on our YouTube page:
https://youtu.be/I9-G2zkpQuk

 

[PayrollNerd]

Frostproof High School student killed by father in grandfather's home, Polk sheriff says

The teenager was living with his grandfather to help out. The father had drifted from state to state and had a history with drugs, the sheriff said.

www.theledger.com

Thomas Rodda went into the home and found his grandson dead in the dining room. An arrest affidavit, released Tuesday morning, said the father hit his son repeatedly in the body and head with an angle grinder, at one point breaking the blade.

Judd said investigators were still trying to determine the motive. In an interview after his arrest, Stephen Thomas Rodda told detectives at one point that his son, Stephen, had died years ago when he was little, then made claims about sexual abuse in the home. Judd said the family told detectives the suspect had used methamphetamine since at least high school and had a history of psychotic episodes.

 

[PayrollNerd]

FL has the death penalty but this father is flippin' nut job, worsened by being a meth head. I'm expecting an insanity defense.

Granddad must have been so full of hope for his grandson. Stephen Lee was in school and about to start a job so he could save money for a car. He was on the right path, only for his life to be snuffed out in a horrifying way by his own father.

 

[PatLaurel]

Some quotes from Sheriff Grady Judd:
"(...) there aren't adequate words to explain how horrific this event is (...)".

" (...) we know that he's an evil evil person we know that he murdered he murdered his son today and that son was a beautiful 16 year old person a beautiful 16 year old person who's just a great kid (...)

"(...) so anybody who murders somebody has a hitch in their giddy up that doesn't mean they're criminally insane it just means they're evil and they're mean and when things don't go their way they kill people (...)"

"(...) but understand we're not dealing with a normal person here this guy's not normal he's evil he's irrational he's got a history of drug use (...)"

"(...) so at the end of the day these things are Beyond explanation because this is not rational conduct but irrational, people shoot and murder people evil evil people shoot and murder their children (...)"


My condolences to SL Rodda's family. And prayers to the Sheriff and his deputies. I can't imagine what it must be like having to deal with a horrible crime like this one and keep a sane mind at the same time.

MOO JMO

 

[PayrollNerd]

Case : 2023CF007258A000XX
RODDA STEPHEN T
DOB 9/30/1985

Affidavit is heartbreaking to read. I hope his withdrawal from meth is as painful as can be.

Hearing dates are the same. Docket has been updated.

 

[worm]

Thanks to payroll for bringing this since this was the first news story that I read this morning and was looking for a thread. This is shocking to say the least and I have a grinder like that so I’m not sure I even want to know any more about this horror.

 

[PatLaurel]

I'm not sure if we can discuss the affidavit here but I'm confused. Did the suspect state that the victim raped him? Did I read that right? I know the suspect is a meth head, and chronic abuse of drugs affects the brain function but... Was that the suspect's motive???
I wish him a painful meth withdrawal, too!

I feel for Mr. TR...

 

[PayrollNerd]

MSN

At his first court appearance in Polk County Court today, Rodda, 37, made rambling incoherent statements about his wealth, his name – and at one point - even said he owned the NFL.

The judge appointed a public defender and ordered Rodda held without bond.

Family members say they were sickened by allegations Rodda made in his arrest affidavit, claiming he killed his son for molesting the boy’s younger brother.

“Don't believe it at all,” said McDaniel.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was attempting to interview Stephen’s brother, ......

“The suspect is psychotic,” said Judd.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Thanks to payroll for bringing this since this was the first news story that I read this morning and was looking for a thread. This is shocking to say the least and I have a grinder like that so I’m not sure I even want to know any more about this horror.

What just blows my mind is, an angle grinder is a plug in tool. Simply meaning he had to go inside with it, plug it in and attack his son! Unless of course he had a cordless angle grinder? But, something tells me he would have spent $40 on meth before he'd spend $40 on a cordless angle grinder. Perhaps this is why the son's injuries were on his left side because that's where the plug was? Sickening beyond belief. JMO

 

[worm]

What just blows my mind is, an angle grinder is a plug in tool. Simply meaning he had to go inside with it, plug it in and attack his son! Unless of course he had a cordless angle grinder? But, something tells me he would have spent $40 on meth before he'd spend $40 on a cordless angle grinder. Perhaps this is why the son's injuries were on his left side because that's where the plug was? Sickening beyond belief. JMO

I was looking at the one I have and it’s pretty heavy on one end so maybe it was used as a blunt object? This one has to be a decade plus old but they haven’t changed I don’t think. You have a good point about a cordless since so many tools have went to that.

 

[Marysmith]

This is just horrific. No other words.

 

[worm]

This is just horrific. No other words.

Be careful now, we are talking about the NFL owner here.

 

[nao]

Moo....I do not think he had it plugged in (thankfully) he just hitting him with it. But they are still heavy(just bought one) and there was a blade on it, so it would be blunt and sharp force trauma. It would of made a mess... Moo

 

[borndem]

SMH -- just horrific for this young man. Stephen leaves behind one younger sister and two younger brothers -- they will never get over this -- and what will happen to them? Did the four of them live together with their father -- I would assume so.
Just no words.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Just saw this article -- excerpts:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
'Evil' Fla. Father Accused of Killing Son, 16, with Power Tool, Sheriff Says
"There aren't adequate words to explain how horrific this event is," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at Monday news conference
By
Nicole Acosta
--Published on September 5, 2023 02:31PM EDT

The father of a teenage boy in Florida was arrested for allegedly killing his son with a power tool in what the local sheriff termed a "horrific event."
Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, was taken into custody after he allegedly killed his son, 16-year-old Stephen Lee Rodda, inside a mobile home in Lake Wales, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced at a Monday news conference streamed on Facebook.
The teenager was staying at his grandfather’s house to help him out while his grandmother was in rehab, the sheriff said.
[...]
The sheriff said the victim was an 11th grade student at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School, where he was studying to be an electrician. The teenager also was about to start his job at Burger King next week in hopes of saving enough money to buy a car.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Source -- more here:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

‘Evil’ Fla. Father Accused of Killing Son, 16, with Power Tool, Sheriff Says

Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, was taken into custody after he allegedly killed his son, 16-year-old Stephen Lee Rodda, inside a mobile home in Lake Wales, Fla

people.com

 

[Marysmith]

SMH -- just horrific for this young man. Stephen leaves behind one younger sister and two younger brothers -- they will never get over this -- and what will happen to them? Did the four of them live together with their father -- I would assume so.
Just no words.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Just saw this article -- excerpts:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
'Evil' Fla. Father Accused of Killing Son, 16, with Power Tool, Sheriff Says
"There aren't adequate words to explain how horrific this event is," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at Monday news conference
By
Nicole Acosta
--Published on September 5, 2023 02:31PM EDT

The father of a teenage boy in Florida was arrested for allegedly killing his son with a power tool in what the local sheriff termed a "horrific event."
Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, was taken into custody after he allegedly killed his son, 16-year-old Stephen Lee Rodda, inside a mobile home in Lake Wales, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced at a Monday news conference streamed on Facebook.
The teenager was staying at his grandfather’s house to help him out while his grandmother was in rehab, the sheriff said.
[...]
The sheriff said the victim was an 11th grade student at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School, where he was studying to be an electrician. The teenager also was about to start his job at Burger King next week in hopes of saving enough money to buy a car.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Source -- more here:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

‘Evil’ Fla. Father Accused of Killing Son, 16, with Power Tool, Sheriff Says

Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, was taken into custody after he allegedly killed his son, 16-year-old Stephen Lee Rodda, inside a mobile home in Lake Wales, Fla

people.com

Oh wow these details about Stephen make it so much worse.