Florida father accused in son's brutal murder gives judge fake name in first appearance, claims to own NFL

A Florida father accused of killing his teenage son with a heavy-duty saw in a mobile home Monday had a brief hearing with a judge Tuesday, where the suspect made preposterous claims like owning the NFL.

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Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, faced a Polk County judge for about 30 seconds during the hearing.

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FOX 13 in Tampa posted a portion of the hearing on its website, which starts out with Rodda standing before the judge.

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FLORIDA FATHER CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH BRUTAL MURDER OF HIS TEENAGE SON: ‘EVIL, EVIL MAN’

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Stephen Thomas Rodda booking photo, Sept. 4, 2023. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)

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The video shows Rodda tell a judge he has a pardon in Montana, while also providing the false name of Michael Olnek.

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The judge then told Rodda he was appointing the public defender’s office to represent him when the suspect chimed in once more.

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"I own the NFL as well," Rodda said.

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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described the suspect, 37-year-old Stephan Thomas Rodda, as "evil." (Polk County Sheriff's Office)

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The judge told Rodda he reviewed the probable cause affidavit and found there was probable cause to hold him on the capital felony charge without bond.

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Rodda is accused of murdering his son, 16-year-old Stephen Lee Rodda, who was an 11th grader at Frostproof High School in Polk County, Florida.

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After allegedly killing his son, Rodda attempted to flee but was taken into custody.

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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described Rodda as "evil" during a news conference at the mobile home, where he announced his arrest.

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

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The teenager was living with his grandfather, 67-year-old Thomas Rodda, at the mobile home to help while his grandmother was in rehab.

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Stephen Thomas Rodda's mugshot from March 2022. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)

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Thomas left the home on Monday morning to visit his wife, and when he returned at around 11 a.m., he encountered the accused killer.

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"I wouldn’t go in there if I was you," Steven allegedly told Thomas. "I killed someone. You may need to call the police."

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The grandfather, according to Judd, said it was common for the suspect to make "bizarre" comments.

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When Tomas entered his mobile home, he found his grandson’s body in the dining room area.

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Judd said a preliminary investigation found the suspect used an angle grinder — a type of power tool used for cutting, grinding and polishing objects — to kill his son.

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The motive for the murder remains under investigation.

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The suspect has an extensive criminal history, the sheriff said, and he moved to Lake Wales about a month ago after living in several states, including Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Washington, D.C.

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The sheriff said the suspect also has a history of using methamphetamine dating back to high school and has had prior psychotic episodes.

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Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.

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Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

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