Stephen Thomas Rodda, Lake Wales, Florida father uses angle grinder power tool to kill teenage son, Stephen Lee Rodda inside mobile home. No known motive.
A Florida father with a lengthy rap sheet and history of drug abuse is accused of killing his 16 year old teen son over the weekend with a power tool in what cops have called an ‘inexplicable’ incident.
Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, was taken into custody Monday after allegedly killing his teenage son, Stephen Lee Rodda, inside a mobile home in Lake Wales, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference.
The teen described as having a ‘big heart’ and who had hopes of one day becoming an electrician was living with his grandfather, 67-year-old Thomas Rodda, to help him around the house while his grandmother was in rehab.
Teen son’s passion was to become electrician
The grandfather returned to his home Monday morning to find his son, Stephen, outside of his home, where he allegedly told him, ‘I wouldn’t go in there if I was you. I killed someone. You may need to call the police.’
The grandfather told investigators it was not uncommon for the suspect, who has used methamphetamine since high school, to have psychotic episodes and make ‘bizarre’ comments.
When Thomas Rodda entered the home, he found his grandson dead in the dining room area, FOX13 reported.
A preliminary investigation revealed the suspect used a ‘heavy-duty saw’ known as an angle grinder to kill his son. The device can be used to cut through metal, Judd said.
The father was caught by police as he attempted to flee the scene.
The suspect has an extensive criminal history, including an outstanding warrant in South Carolina, Judd said.
‘This guy has been nothing but a problem to society for a very long time,’ the sheriff added. ‘And now, he’s turned a problemed person into an evil person when he murdered his son and created a horrible set of circumstances for a loving family.’
The younger Stephen Rodda was a junior at Frostproof High School, where he was taking classes to be an electrician.
He was also due to start working at Burger King next week in the hopes of saving enough money to buy a car, his family said.
The motive for the murder is still under investigation.
