UK Teen Found Guilty of Killing Gay Teen
Matthew Mason, a 19-year-old man in the United Kingdom, was found guilty of killing 15-year-old Alex Rodda, BBC News reports.
Mason, an agricultural student from an affluent family, brutally beat Rodda on the evening of December 12, 2019 with a wrench. Mason, however, claimed he was acting in self-defense — Rodda allegedly blackmailed him, threatening to expose their romantic relationship. According to the BBC, the jury deliberated almost 10 hours before reaching their verdict.
In a statement, Rodda's family said, "our son Alex was a wonderful, gentle, loving, kind, caring, respectful boy who loved life and lived life to the full. His precious life was cut short all too soon at the hands of Matthew Mason."
According to court testimony, Mason — who was 18 at the time — had a girlfriend and identified as straight. He claimed Rodda "persuaded" him to have sex multiple times, while also sending explicit photos and video to the victim. Later, Rodda texted Mason's girlfriend with the photos and video, claiming Mason was sending flirtatious messages — as BBC reports, the reasons behind this are unclear. Mason denied this claim to his girlfriend. But the next day, deposited money into Rodda's bank account — the alleged blackmailing Mason initially claimed. Mason said he was afraid his friends might reject him if he came out as bisexual or gay.
On the evening of December 12, Mason and Rodda met up. Prior to this, Mason apparently perused the Internet with search phrases "what would happen if you kicked someone down the stairs," "everyday poison," and "the mysteries of the Cheshire unsolved deaths of missing people," according to court testimony. Mason claimed he only used those terms because he was feeling suicidal.
Mason drove Rodda to a secluded wooded area, where he beat the victim with a wrench — with at least 15 bows to the head — and then left the scene to have drinks at a local pub. Rodda's body was found the next morning by trash collectors. Mason's car was identified by a witness and the murder weapon located in the vehicle.
Mason reportedly broke down in tears as the jury handed down the guilty verdict. So did Rodda's family, saying "we have never come across a more selfish, cold and calculating person." Mason will be sentenced on January 25.