MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A father, his teenage son and a family friend are in custody after the body of a man was found stabbed to death in a shallow pond earlier this year in Martin County.
The Martin County Sheriff's Office said Richard Elijah Neely, 54, his 16-year-old son, and Randall Todd, 40, were arrested in connection with the killing of Leodere Verdisca.
Verdisca's body was found in a pond in a natural preserve area along Southeast Willoughby Boulevard and Southeast Cove Road in March.
Region Martin County
Body found in shallow pond identified as Port St. Lucie man
The sheriff's office said once Verdisca's body was identified, detectives spent weeks gathering evidence, at times leading them out of state.
Investigators said Verdisca was an acquaintance of the father and son.
Detectives said they believe the killing stemmed from money that the victim owed Richard Neely.
The sheriff's office said due to that debt, Richard Neely stabbed and killed Verdisca. Investigators said the man's son and Todd then helped Neely dump the body in the pond, where it remained for several days before being discovered.
Sheriff William Snyder said he's relieved this case is finally solved.
"We can't bring the victim back and can't return him to his loved ones," Snyder said, "but we can say that we did everything we could to find justice in this case, and we do believe we've done that."
Richard Neely faces a murder charge while his son and Todd face a charge of accessory after the fact.
