On September 4, 2023, 16-year-old Stephen Lee Rodda was murdered by his father, Stephen Thomas Rodda, at his paternal grandparents' mobile home in Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida. The child had been living with his grandparents for approximately two months to help his grandfather while his grandmother was in a rehabilitation facility. The father had returned to Florida about a month earlier after living transiently across multiple states. That morning, the grandfather left to visit his wife in rehabilitation at 8:00 a.m., leaving the child and father alone. When he returned around 11:00 a.m., the father met him outside and told him he had killed someone. The grandfather entered the home and found his grandson deceased in the dining area. The father had used an angle grinder to viciously strike his son's head with such force that the tool broke. The father, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was unmedicated and had a history of methamphetamine use, showed no remorse and made delusional statements, including that he owned the NFL and was the governor of Texas. He was apprehended approximately a mile away and charged with First Degree Murder and Aggravated Child Abuse by Aggravated Battery. The prosecution filed a Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states the child "was murdered by his father with what is suspected to have been an angle grinder." The news article provides further detail: Stephen Thomas Rodda "viciously and brutally hit his son's head with the angle grinder so hard that it broke the tool, which was found next to the teenager's body." The cause of death was listed as "Multiple Blunt Force Traumatic Injuries Battery."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Both documents identify the perpetrator as the child's father, Stephen T. (Thomas) Rodda. The fatality report states: "the 16-year-old was murdered by his father" and lists Stephen T. Rodda as "Father" in the family composition chart. The news article confirms: "deputies say was killed by his own father."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
The fatality report states: "The 16-year-old decedent had moved into his grandparents' home approximately two months prior, to help the grandfather out as the grandmother was in rehabilitation for an injury." The child was living with his paternal grandparents, not his parents, at the time of the incident.
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The fatality report states: "On September 4, 2023, Stephen T. Rodda was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder and Aggravated Child Abuse by Aggravated Battery." The news article corroborates: "The suspect was charged with first-degree murder after his arrest. He is being held on no bond."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report states: "the father had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was unmedicated. The father expressed that he has rewritten the bible, owns the NFL, and was the governor of Texas." The news article corroborates this, noting "the suspect had a history of psychotic episodes" and that during an interview "the victim's father... said he thought his son died years ago when he was a child and other conflicting statements." During his court appearance, he "claimed to be from Montana, going by a different name, and said he owned the NFL."
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news article states that the suspect, the child's father, "had a history of psychotic episodes, as well as a problem with methamphetamine use."
Notable Details
Several notable details were not covered by the preceding questions. First, the fatality report states: "On October 4, 2023, a Notice of Intent to Seek (the) Death Penalty and Disclosure of Aggravating Factors was filed," indicating the prosecution pursued the death penalty. Second, the father made extensive delusional statements suggesting severe psychosis — the fatality report notes he "expressed that he has rewritten the bible, owns the NFL, and was the governor of Texas," and the news article reports he "said he thought his son died years ago when he was a child" and "claimed to be from Montana, going by a different name" during his court appearance. Third, the weapon used — an angle grinder — is highly unusual for a homicide; the news article notes the father "hit his son's head with the angle grinder so hard that it broke the tool." The intersection of the father's diagnosed but untreated schizophrenia, methamphetamine use history, and transient living across multiple states prior to returning to Florida raises questions about systemic gaps in mental health intervention.
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