A tragic incident unfolded in Lake Wales, Florida, when a father was arrested for allegedly killing his teenage son using a power tool. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported that 37-year-old Stephen Thomas Rodda was taken into custody on Monday, accused of murdering his 16-year-old son, Stephen Lee Rodda, with an angle grinder.
The incident came to light when the victim’s grandfather, Thomas Rodda, returned home from visiting his wife in rehab around 11 a.m. He encountered Stephen Thomas Rodda outside the house on Old Bartow Road. According to the sheriff’s office, the elder Rodda was warned by his son not to enter the house, as he had killed someone and suggested that the police should be called.
Upon entering his mobile home, the grandfather discovered the lifeless body of his grandson in the dining room. Preliminary investigations by the sheriff’s office suggest that the father used an angle grinder, a handheld power tool typically used for cutting hard materials, to commit the murder. The motive behind this gruesome act remains unclear.
Sheriff Grady Judd expressed his sorrow over the incident, stating, “It breaks our heart. There aren’t adequate words to explain how horrific this event is.” Rodda was found a mile from the crime scene on Highway 60 and was immediately arrested by deputies.
Stephen Thomas Rodda reportedly had a lengthy criminal record, including an outstanding arrest warrant in South Carolina. He had also resided in various states such as Texas, Washington D.C., and Ohio. The victim, an 11th grader at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School, was set to start a job at Burger King the following week to save money for a car.
Sheriff Judd mourned the loss of the young victim, stating, “I want you to know that the world lost a great young man today. We lost a great young man.” He further vowed to ensure that the accused, whom he referred to as an “evil, evil man,” would spend the rest of his life in prison.
This incident marks the second case of filicide, a crime where a parent kills their own child, in Polk County within a week. The previous case involved a mother who allegedly murdered her two children before taking her own life during a custody dispute. Reflecting on the recent violence, Sheriff Judd said, “I can’t remember it happening twice in eight days.”
The reason behind the suspect’s actions remains unknown. Rodda reportedly has a history of methamphetamine use, which has led to psychotic episodes, and an extensive arrest record.