Jury finds Ronnie Hyde guilty in 1994 murder of Jacksonville teenager

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UPDATE · 4:25 PM | The family of Fred Laster provided a statement following the guilty verdict for Ronnie Hyde:

“We never gave up hope. This has been a long, emotional road and we are grateful there is finally justice for Fred. We miss him dearly and miss the future we will never have with him. We would like to thank everyone who over the past 20+ years served a role to secure today’s outcome. Specifically, we would like to thank the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office; Jacksonville Beach Police Department; FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the State Attorney’s Office and prosecutors Alan Mizrahi and Terence Martin; Angela Judah, Agent Abbi Beccaccio; and Detective Jimmy Watson. We love you, Fred.”

UPDATE · 3:31 PM | The verdict is in. On Friday, a jury found former Jacksonville youth pastor Ronnie Hyde guilty in the murder of 16-year-old Fred Laster.

UPDATE · 3:23 PM | A verdict has been reached in the murder trial of Ronnie Hyde.

Action News Jax anchor Meghan Moriarty is at the Duval County Courthouse downtown where a jury will soon deliver the verdict.

Accused Jacksonville killer Ronnie Hyde took the stand in his defense Friday morning.

Hyde is accused of murdering 16-year-old Fred Laster and dumping his “dismembered torso” in Columbia County in June 1994. Lester’s remains were discovered by a woman who was walking her dog in the parking lot at what used to be the BP Station US Highway 441 North and I-10 in Lake City, according to retired Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brian Rix.

Action News Jax told you in February when the State Attorney’s Office announced that a Duval County grand jury formally indicted the Jacksonville Beach man for first-degree murder in Lester’s death.

Hyde, a former youth pastor, faced an intense cross-examination Friday, during which prosecutors asked Hyde, now 65, if he killed the teen.

“No I did not,” Hyde responded.

Hyde was described as a friend of the family by one of Laster’s sisters.

Closing arguments followed cross-examination.

The prosecution acknowledged that this had been a hard week for the jury. “The shock and disturbing context that a human being can take a bread knife and cut through someone’s neck, femur….it is hard to fathom and it makes us angry, it makes us disgusted.”

“The emotions of this case are betrayal-- by a man who was trusted, as a man who was a pastor who said he would care. He would give charity….killing a vulnerable lost child.”

“This case has been much to do about nothing. Ron Hyde did nothing wrong, nothing,” Hyde’s attorney said to the jury during closing arguments.

FRED LASTER CASE: Hyde denied bond | Hyde’s Facebook posts | Photos: FBI raid in Jacksonville Beach | FBI serves search warrant at Jacksonville Beach home of man arrested in teen’s 1994 murder | Prosecutors: Ronnie Hyde molested at least one other boy before Fred Laster’s murder

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