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376:, almost instantly knocking him out, and killing him shortly thereafter. When Ruth found Ferrell and Anderson in the home moments later, Ferrell bludgeoned her to death, bashing her head with the crowbar. He claimed in his confession, however, that his original plan was to allow Naomi Ruth to live, but she first attacked him by lunging at him and throwing a very hot cup of coffee on him. This angered him and made him change his mind, so he killed her also.
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550:, robbery with a gun or deadly weapon, and burglary armed with a weapon or explosives. She was sentenced to 10.5 years in state prison. Dana Cooper was convicted of those charges as well but was given a 17.5 year prison sentence. Anderson was convicted of the same charges as Ferrell and was sentenced to life in prison.
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Ruth
Wendorf's relatives attended Anderson's resentencing hearing and did not oppose his early release. Speaking with the Daily Commercial, they said they are more concerned about Ferrell, who was scheduled for his own resentencing hearing in July 2019. Ferrell's hearing was subsequently rescheduled
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The victims were the parents of
Heather Wendorf, a long-time friend of Ferrell's whom he was helping to run away from a home that she described as "hell." Heather and the other girls that were with Ferrell and Anderson were not at the Wendorf home when the murders took place. Charity Keesee and her
557:
In
January 2013, an appellate court dismissed attempts by Rodrick Ferrell and Howard Scott Anderson to get a new sentencing hearing. However, in December 2018, Howard Scott Anderson was resentenced by circuit judge Don Briggs to 40 years in prison. Anderson was given credit for the 22 years he has
361:
On
November 25, 1996, Naomi Ruth Queen and Richard Wendorf were found by their daughter Jennifer Wendorf, beaten to death in their Eustis home. While 49-year-old Richard Wendorf was asleep on his couch and Ruth was in the shower, Ferrell and accomplice Howard Scott Anderson had entered the home
553:
For two years, Ferrell held the record as the youngest inmate on death row. This changed in
November 2000 when the Florida Supreme Court reduced his sentence to life in prison. Keesee was released from prison in March 2006, and Cooper was released from prison in October 2011.
107:
398:. The group needed money, and Charity thought her grandmother could help them. However, Keesee's grandmother informed the police about her whereabouts and helped them trick Ferrell, Wendorf, and the rest of the teens into going to a local
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On
February 12, 1998, then-eighteen-year-old Ferrell pleaded guilty to the murders, claiming that the others traveling with him were innocent except Scott Anderson, who was simply an accessory. Ferrell pleaded guilty to two counts of
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friend Dana Cooper had driven
Heather to her boyfriend's apartment so Heather could say goodbye before leaving for New Orleans, leaving Rodrick and Scott outside the Wendorf home.
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is a documentary series hosted by
William Shatner which includes an episode featuring Ferrell as episode 15 of its first season ("Vampires and Werewolves", aired April 18, 2020).
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Richard had burn marks in the shape of a V. It was said that the V was
Ferrell's symbol, which he accompanied with a dot for each person he considered to be in his vampire cult.
237:, known as the "Vampire Clan". Ferrell claimed to be a 500-year-old vampire named Vesago, a character he created for himself after becoming obsessed with the role playing game
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for
November 18 and then again to April 2020, when the sentencing judge upheld his life without parole sentence and deemed him irreparably corrupt.
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at that time. Originally sentenced to death, Ferrell's penalty has since been reduced to life imprisonment. In 2023, he married Stephanie Ferrell.
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243:. It was his mother, Sondra Gibson, who first introduced this game to Rod. In 1998, Ferrell pleaded guilty to the double slaying of a couple from
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His attorneys tried to argue that he was insane; he has been diagnosed with mental disorders including
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Judge Jerry T. Lockett sentenced Ferrell to death. Charity Keesee was convicted of two counts of
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Before Richard had even awakened, Ferrell beat him multiple times with it, fracturing both his
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864:"Florida 'Vampire Cult' Killer Faces Hope Of Freedom Again After Resentencing Ends Life Term"
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680:(aired in 2015) includes a half-hour segment on Rod Ferrell and his vampire clan.
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Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced
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921:"Vampire killer Rod Ferrell should get a shot at parole, attorney argues"
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455: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
289: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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and cult leader. He was a member of a loose-knit gang of teenagers from
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After four days of driving through four states, the group was found in
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already served, making him first eligible for release in 2031.
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Hallifax, Jackie. "Death sentence for cult leader reduced",
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through the unlocked garage, picking up the murder weapon, a
902:"Psychologist to examine vampire cult leader Rod Ferrell"
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back to Florida, where they were initially booked at the
1017:
Florida v. Rod Ferrell - "The Vampire Cult Slaying Case"
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720:"Human Monsters: Rod Ferrell, The Vampire Cult Killer"
991:"Vampire cult town shrinks under national spotlight"
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Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Florida
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413:. They were later moved to a juvenile facility in
1132:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
665:song "Blood on the Bluegrass", from their album
965:"TH' LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS: COCKADOODLEDON'T"
247:, becoming the youngest person in Florida on
8:
1177:People with schizotypal personality disorder
658:is based on and named after Ferrell's cult.
1074:
883:"'Vampire Killer' keeps his life sentence"
565:Anderson is currently incarcerated in the
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94:
515:Learn how and when to remove this message
349:Learn how and when to remove this message
83:Learn how and when to remove this message
571:Northwest Florida Reception Center Annex
1167:Prisoners sentenced to death by Florida
1142:Crimes involving Satanism or the occult
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699:List of United States death row inmates
1005:/ Associated Press. December 2, 1996.
939:"Inmate Population Information Detail"
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1187:People convicted of murder by Florida
1137:American prisoners sentenced to death
1122:American people convicted of burglary
229:(born March 28, 1980) is an American
7:
777:"Chronology Of The Wendorf Slayings"
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718:Brewster, R.A. (December 15, 2018).
453:adding citations to reliable sources
287:adding citations to reliable sources
1127:American people convicted of murder
919:Hudak, Stephen (February 4, 2020).
830:. August 6, 2008. History Channel.
750:. December 6, 2005. Archived from
674:Season 4, episode 8 of the series
611:by removing the content or adding
44:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1096:Florida Department of Corrections
1030:The Embrace: A True Vampire Story
802:"Doctor: Ferrell's Lies A 'Game'"
862:Lohr, David (December 7, 2018).
585:
567:Calhoun Correctional Institution
537:schizotypal personality disorder
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23:
607:Please help Knowledge (XXG) to
440:needs additional citations for
274:needs additional citations for
169:Marion Correctional Institution
963:Haag, Stephen (June 4, 2003).
649:is about Ferrell and his clan.
1:
1172:People with Asperger syndrome
227:Roderick Justin "Rod" Ferrell
112:
1157:People from Murray, Kentucky
1054:provided by sacrosanctum.org
55:, especially if potentially
35:biography of a living person
1048:, MSNBC. October 26, 2002.
59:or harmful. Please help to
53:must be removed immediately
38:includes a list of general
16:American convicted murderer
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1152:Minors convicted of murder
1052:"The Vampire Clan" profile
748:"Court TV Online – Trials"
1003:Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
647:Kentucky Teenage Vampires
220:
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1082:Rod Ferrell's confession
842:"vampire killers appeal"
569:while Ferrell is in the
1147:Criminals from Kentucky
826:"Vampires in America".
663:Legendary Shack Shakers
240:Vampire: The Masquerade
125:Roderick Justin Ferrell
67:more precise citations.
115:2023 prison photograph
1087:Serial Killer Central
1044:Seigenthaler, John.
1012:. November 10, 2000.
645:TV crime documentary
609:improve this article
449:improve this article
283:improve this article
1027:Jones, Aphrodite.
925:orlandosentinel.com
806:OrlandoSentinel.com
754:on December 6, 2005
671:, is about Ferrell.
621:independent sources
548:third-degree murder
1046:MSNBC Investigates
1033:. June 1, 2000.
996:2006-02-07 at the
900:Stanfield, Frank.
881:Stanfield, Frank.
800:Stanfield, Frank.
212:Death, reduced to
1182:Vampirism (crime)
1024:. June 22, 2001.
643:Anglia Television
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466: –
465:
464:"Rod Ferrell"
461:
460:Find sources:
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438:This section
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299:
298:"Rod Ferrell"
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272:This section
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1066:Vampire Clan
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969:. Retrieved
967:. PopMatters
958:
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756:. Retrieved
752:the original
727:. Retrieved
724:R.A.Brewster
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655:Vampire Clan
653:
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596:may contain
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577:In the media
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447:Please help
442:verification
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396:South Dakota
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281:Please help
276:verification
273:
255:The killings
238:
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165:Incarcerated
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70:
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1112:1980 births
811:January 22,
677:Killer Kids
392:New Orleans
388:Baton Rouge
99:Rod Ferrell
65:introducing
1106:Categories
705:References
598:irrelevant
505:March 2024
475:newspapers
407:extradited
339:March 2024
309:newspapers
131:1980-03-28
40:references
971:April 16,
758:April 23,
729:April 23,
661:The 2003
641:The 1998
613:citations
249:Death Row
1022:Court TV
994:Archived
948:March 2,
868:HuffPost
693:See also
617:reliable
364:crowbar.
231:murderer
201:, armed
199:burglary
57:libelous
1094:on the
984:Sources
847:June 2,
782:June 2,
489:scholar
323:scholar
203:robbery
167:at the
61:improve
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175:Spouse
156:Vesago
42:, but
496:JSTOR
482:books
415:Ocala
403:hotel
370:skull
330:JSTOR
316:books
32:This
1071:IMDb
1035:ISBN
973:2022
950:2024
849:2018
813:2023
784:2018
760:2019
731:2019
619:and
539:and
468:news
374:ribs
372:and
302:news
214:life
146:U.S.
121:Born
1069:at
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451:by
285:by
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