Vampire Clan: Rod Ferrell

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by tpksstories

by tpksstories

Roderrick Justin "Rod"Ferrell (born March 28, 1980) is an American murderer and cultleader. He was a member of a loose-knit gang of teenagers fromMurray, Kentucky, known as the "Vampire Clan".Ferrell claimed to be a 500-year-old vampire named Vesago, acharacter he created for himself after becoming obsessed with therole playing game Vampire: The Masquerade. It was his mother, SondraGibson who first introduced this game to Rod. In 1998, Ferrellpleaded guilty to the double slaying of a couple from Eustis,Florida, becoming the youngest person in Florida on Death Row at thattime. Originally sentenced to death, Ferrell's penalty has since beenreduced to life imprisonment.

The killings

On November 25, 1996, Naomi Ruth Queenand Richard Wendorf were found by their daughter Jennifer Wendorf,beaten to death in their Eustis home. While 49-year-old RichardWendorf was asleep on his couch and Ruth was in the shower, Ferrelland accomplice Howard Scott Anderson had entered the home through theunlocked garage, picking up the murder weapon, a crowbar.

Before Richard had even awakened,Ferrell beat him multiple times with it, fracturing both his skulland ribs, almost instantly knocking him out, and killing him shortlythereafter. When Ruth had found Ferrell and Anderson in the homemoments later, Ferrell bludgeoned her to death, bashing her head withthe crowbar. He claimed in his confession, however, that in hisoriginal plan he was going to allow Naomi Ruth to live, but she firstattacked him by lunging at him and throwing a very hot cup of coffeeon him, which angered him and made him change his mind and so hekilled her also.

Richard had burn marks in the shape ofa V. It was said that the V was Ferrell's symbol, which heaccompanied with a dot for each person he considered to be in hisvampire cult.

The victims were the parents of HeatherWendorf, a long-time friend of Rod's whom he was helping to run awayfrom a home that she described as "hell". Heather and theother girls that were with Ferrell and Anderson were not at theWendorf home when the murders took place. Charity Keesee and herfriend Dana Cooper had driven Heather to her boyfriend's apartment soHeather could say good-bye before leaving for New Orleans, leavingRoderrick and Scott outside the Wendorf home.

After four days of driving through fourstates, the group was found in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is believedthat Ferrell liked a video arcade in New Orleans, and they wereheaded there. One of the girls, Charity Keesee, placed a call to hergrandmother in South Dakota. The group needed money, and Charitythought her grandmother could help them. However, Keesee'sgrandmother informed the police about her whereabouts and helped themtrick Ferrell, Wendorf, and the rest of the teens into going to alocal Howard Johnson's hotel, where they were arrested by waiting lawenforcement. The four were held at a Baton Rouge jail for a weekbefore being extradited back to Florida, where they were initiallybooked at the Lake County Jail. They were later moved to a juvenilefacility in Ocala.

Legal proceedings

On February 12, 1998,then-seventeen-year-old Ferrell pleaded guilty to the murders,claiming that the others traveling with him were innocent exceptScott Anderson, who was simply an accessory. Ferrell pleaded guiltyto two counts of felony murder.

Ferrell's attorneys tried to argue thathe was insane; he has been diagnosed with mental disorders includingschizotypal personality disorder and Asperger syndrome. TheUniversity of Florida further attested that Rod could sometimeswitness spiritual things, like angels and demons.

Judge Jerry T. Lockett sentencedFerrell to death. Charity Keesee was convicted of two counts ofthird-degree murder, robbery with a gun or deadly weapon and burglaryarmed with a weapon or explosives. She was sentenced to 10.5 years instate prison. Dana Cooper was convicted of those charges as well, butwas given a 17.5 year prison sentence. Anderson was convicted of thesame charges as Ferrell and was sentenced to life in prison.

For two years, Ferrell held the recordas the youngest inmate on death row until November 2000, when theFlorida Supreme Court reduced his sentence to life in prison. BecauseFlorida had long abolished parole, the sentence is without it. Keeseewas released from prison in March 2006 and Cooper was released fromprison in October 2011.

In January 2013, an appellate courtdismissed attempts by Roderrick Ferrell and Howard Scott Anderson toget a new sentencing hearing.[6] However, in December 2018, HowardScott Anderson was resentenced by circuit judge Don Briggs to 40years in prison. Anderson was given credit for the 22 years he hasalready served with him first being eligible for release in 2031.

Ruth Wendorf's relatives attendedAnderson's re-sentencing hearing and did not oppose his earlyrelease. Speaking with the Daily Commercial, they said they are moreconcerned about Ferrell who was scheduled to face his ownre-sentencing hearing in July 2019. Ferrell's resentencing hearingwas then moved to November 18 and then again to April 2020 and thesentencing judge upheld his life without parole sentence and deemedhim irreparably corrupt.

Anderson is currently incarcerated inthe Calhoun Correctional Institution while Ferrell is currentlyincarcerated in the Northwest Florida Reception Center Annex.

In the media

1998 Anglia Television TV crimedocumentary "Kentucky Teenage Vampires" is aboutFerrell and his clan

2002 film Vampire Clan is based onand named after Ferrell's cult

2003 Legendary Shack Shakers song"Blood on the Bluegrass"is about Ferrell and his clan

2020 The UnXplained with WilliamShatner is a documentary series which includes an episode aboutFerrell in its first season