GUILTY FL - Fred Laster, 16, found dismembered, Lake City, 5 June 1994 *youth pastor arrest*

UPDATE (yes I know I am late): Ronnie Hyde will be facing an additional 13 charges of child *advertiser censored*; adding on to an existing 12 counts and 1 murder charge. Additionally, on September 27th, Hyde was granted a continuance by the court as they continue to look through the existing evidence; which should also give the State time to build an extremely strong case.
 
Accused killer, Ronnie Hyde, has confessed to buying child *advertiser censored* investigators say
“During Hyde’s interview, he admitted purchasing items from [a …] child *advertiser censored* vendor in Canada,” the State Attorney’s Office asserts in the recent filing. “He also admitted knowing that the vendor was shut down for trafficking in child *advertiser censored*.”
[...]
Hyde will be back in court tomorrow for a hearing on the motions to suppress.
 
For those still interested, there are Deposition transcript available to the public on this case, in the Duval Clerk or Courts CORE system. You will find them near the bottom of the long list near 12/04/2018.

On great interest are the depositions of FL and TL siblings.
 
An update from court proceedings in the news today. Hyde's defense attorneys are contesting the validity of the search warrant used to gather evidence from Hyde's home and his car. Judge will review the arguments and then issue a written order. Judge mulls tossing evidence against man accused of killing teen in 1994

Please please let her rule in favor of the prosecution and let all the evidence stand...
 
The court date for the decision mentioned above has been postponed because some involved parties have a scheduling conflict as a result of having secure depositions scheduled with Quantico forensics professionals. I am unsure of these other appointments regard this or another case.

Additionally the motion by RH's lawyer is a very interesting read. It is available on the clerk or court website.

Some information not revealed in other docs is revealed in this document and other docs are referenced in such a way as to reveal aspects of there contents.

Again an interesting read. She brings forth some interesting points, or so they seem on paper.
 
INSIDE INFO: I was informed by Freddy’s brother that Assistant State Attorney Mac Heavner has asked for the Laster siblings to attend a meeting at the SAO next Thursday (May 30th). We are unsure what this could be about; however it will be happening not long before the judge rules on the Williams Rule verdict. Stay tuned!
 
According to the CORE website for the Duval Clerks Office, Hyde’s motion to suppress the evidence found in the Toyota has been denied.

The 1st and 2nd filings of other crimes and wrongdoings (evidence involving the victims TL and CS) have been thrown out.

I believe more will be known later, including a news link.
 
Has any thing new related to this case come to light? Seems like its at a stand still.
Nothing right now. It’s just a matter of getting Hyde to trial. He’s just dragging his feet, though the proposed date for trial is in September I believe.
 
There is BIG news expected in this case this week! I was given a heads up by a member of Laster’s family. Sounds like the charges may be getting upgraded to first degree murder.

If this is true, I wonder what investigators found! Did they find the rest of his remains? Or did the DNA from the luminol test in Hyde’s home come back positive for Freddy’s blood? I’m eager to know what it was IF the charges are getting upgraded.
 
Just got a little bit of information. The DAs office talked with the Laster‘s today, discussing that there would be a new prosecutor on this case. That would make it the second time since this case began that the prosecutor has been switched out.

Although, the new DA is going to pursue first degree murder charges against Hyde. That was all that was said. No evidence was brought up that would encourage such a charge; but the DA may know more than he is letting on. Hyde does have a pretrial appearance on Thursday.
 
Just got a little bit of information. The DAs office talked with the Laster‘s today, discussing that there would be a new prosecutor on this case. That would make it the second time since this case began that the prosecutor has been switched out.

Although, the new DA is going to pursue first degree murder charges against Hyde. That was all that was said. No evidence was brought up that would encourage such a charge; but the DA may know more than he is letting on. Hyde does have a pretrial appearance on Thursday.
Thank you for all this. This boy breaks my heart. I want justice for him in this world.
 
Also, found out that the blood evidence found at the Hyde home is unusable. So this could make things hairy convicting Hyde of murder.
 
I've been away from this case for a bit. I see in the court records that the change from 2nd to 1st degree murder charge was filed 2/25. Recent defense deposition filings called for interviews of police, a DNA analyst, an FBI agent, the medical examiner.

I see that ASA #1 was Heavener, #2 was Garrett, and #3 assigned 11/12/2020 was Mizrahi ("TRIAL ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY CHANGED TO Mizrahi, Alan Seth PER SAO"). I hope that Mizrahi is the one who takes this case to trial. He has done a fantastic job on some of the area's most challenging cold cases. In 2019 he was pivotal in gaining the conviction of Michael Haim for murdering his wife Bonnie Haim 26 years earlier. His trial approach was top-notch in that case. I can still hear his closing arguments in that case like it was yesterday.
 

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