"He was just a stand-up, stellar young man. To have this worthless individual murder his son is inexplicable," Sheriff Grady Judd said of the victim.
The Florida teenager who authorities say was brutally murdered by his own father with a power saw was a "great kid."
Stephen Rodda, 16, shared a name but little else with his father, a career criminal who entered the boy's life one month prior to his murder when he showed up on the doorstep of his own parents' home, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
His father is now being held behind bars after his arrest, which happened just an hour after the discovery of his son's body.
"Let me tell you a little about Stephen. Stephen went to Frostproof High School. His parents said he was in 11th grade. He was to start work next week at Burger King to earn money so that he could buy a car. He was also studying to be an electrician. That was his dream and love," Sheriff Jedd said at a news conference. "Steven Rodda, who's 16 years of age, was a great kid. Not just a good kid, but a great kid."
Sheriff Judd then said that Stephen had moved in with his grandfather to help him out while his grandmother was in a rehabilitation facility.
"That's the kind of kid that Stephen was," said Sheriff Judd.
The grandfather, Thomas Rodda, told deputies that after visiting his wife at a nearby rehabilitation facility on Monday morning he returned home to find his son standing in the front yard of his home, according to an arrest affidavit from the Polk County Sheriff's Office obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
His son asked him for a cigarette, and then told Thomas that he "just killed somebody" and urged his father to "call the police," according to the affidavit.
Thomas then walked inside to find his grandson dead in a pool of blood, according to the affidavit.
"The victim suffered a deep laceration to the underside of his left arm, lacerations to his left eyebrow and left ear, superficial lacerations to his abdomen and three deep lacerations to the back of his head. The victim was missing some teeth, which were located near his body," the affidavit says of the crime scene. "Apparent human hair was found in the victim's left hand. Blood spatter was visible on the wall near his body and head. A handheld angle grinder was located next to the victim, with a broken saw blade on the ground."
Once at the station, the victim's father "showed no remorse or concern for the killing of his son," the affidavit alleges.
Court records show that the victim's father has had multiple run-ins with the law over the past 15 years, and served time for felonies including grand theft, probation violation, and multiple incidents of drug possession.
He briefly appeared in court this week via videoconference from his jail, and will be formally arraigned next month. If convicted, he could face the possibility of the death penalty.
Meanwhile, those who knew the victim continue to grieve.
"There aren't adequate words to explain how horrific this event is. I've talked to the grandmother, the grandfather, the parents are here, and when you see and hear them talk about how wonderful Stephen Rodda, their 16-year-old son was...," said Sheriff Judd. "How squared away he was, the fact that he was willing to live with his grandfather to help him out while his grandmother was in rehab. The fact that he was scheduled to start working at Burger King next week to earn money while going to high school."
Sheriff Judd then stated: "He was just a stand-up, stellar young man. To have this worthless individual murder his son is inexplicable."
The suspect has yet to enter a plea and is being held without bail.
