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Former Youth Pastor Killed and Dismembered a Florida Teenager. Now, He Will Remain Behind Bars for Life.
Recently, Duval County Court Judge Tatiana Salvador handed Ronnie Leon Hyde, 65, a life term in prison for the brutal death and dismemberment of 16-year-old Fred Laster. After about three hours of deliberation, a jury convicted Hyde of first-degree murder.
On June 5, 1994, police officers responded to a dismembered body found behind a dumpster at a BP gas station in Lake City. Due to the body missing its head, legs, and hands, authorities were unable to identify the victim. However, 20 years later, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children advertised the case, leading Laster’s twin sister to alert authorities that the body could be her brother. As a result, family DNA samples were compared to the ones taken from the torso, and it confirmed the identity of Laster.
“On her deathbed she questioned what happened to Freddy. She literally died hours later not knowing. We have our brothers and sisters who wondered what happened to Freddy, not knowing what happened. But more than just the immediate loss… We lost a future with our brother. We lost a brother we don’t get to call on the weekend,” said the victim’s brother Travis Laster during the victim impact statement, according to The Florida Times-Union.
