Dad ‘kills teenage son with angle grinder and leaves body for grandad to find’

A dad has been accused of murdering his teenage son and leaving the remains for the boy's grandad to find.

Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, was charged on Monday (September 4) after it was claimed he killed 16-year-old Stephen Lee Rodda with an angle grinder before being arrested by police in Florida, US.

Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) Sheriff Grady Judd said the victim's granddad, Thomas Rodda, returned to his home at around 11am after visiting his wife, who was recovering from an injury in hospital.

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The sheriff said Rodda then saw the suspect standing outside the property, who told his dad: "I wouldn't go in there if I was you. I killed someone. You may need to call the police."

The senior Mr Rodda, 67, then entered the home where he found his grandson's remains mutilated in the dining room.

Sheriff Judd said: "It breaks our heart. There aren't adequate words to explain how horrific this event is."

The grandad told police the suspect used methamphetamine and had "psychotic episodes", adding it was "not uncommon for his son to talk funny."

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Cops found the suspect around a mile away from the alleged crime scene on Highway 60.

Rodda had been in trouble with the law before, including an arrest warrant in the nearby state of South Carolina.

Investigations into the alleged killing are ongoing.

The sheriff's office said the teenage victim had moved in with his granddad to help him around the house while his grandma recovered from her injury.

Stephen Lee Rodda was an 11th grader at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School at the time of his murder and was planning to start a new job at Burger King so he could save up to buy a car.

Sheriff Judd continued: "I want you to know that the world lost a great young man today. We lost a great young man.

"And we've got an evil, evil man in custody and we're gonna do our best to see that he spends the rest of his life in prison.

"He was a great kid," the sheriff continued.

"Not just a good kid, a great kid… He was to start work next week at Burger King to earn money to buy a car. He was also studying to be an electrician. That was his dream in life."

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