The lengthy journey to justice has finally come to an finish for the household of 21-year-old Savannah Gold.
Lee Rodarte, the person charged with killing the 21-year-old in 2017, was convicted to 40 years in jail on March 11, 2021.
In response to Motion Information Jax experiences, Lee Rodarte Jr., 31, obtained his sentence on March 11, almost three years after he was charged with killing Gold, with whom he labored at a Bonefish Grill in Mandarin. In February, Rodarte reached an association with prosecutors and pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide; in change, prosecutors proposed a sentence of 40 years with credit score for time served, and the decide agreed.
Rodarte appeared just about earlier than 4th Circuit Court docket Choose Jeb Branham to file the plea settlement made with prosecutors.
“You perceive that you’re pleading responsible, and you may be adjudicated responsible to rely one, second-degree homicide,” mentioned Choose Branham. “… Do you perceive that to be the sentence that you’ve got agreed to?”
“Sure, sir,” replied Rodarte.
Motion Information Jax was revealed in 2019 when Rodarte tried to say self-defense 2019. His declare was later denied.
Rodarte was additionally charged with proof tampering and abusing a physique, however these prices have been dropped as a part of his plea settlement.
Prosecutors and the protection negotiated a sentence of 40 years in jail with credit score for time served.
Who’s Savannah Gold? How did Lee Rodarte homicide her
In Mandarin, Savannah Gold was a server on the Bonefish Grill on San Jose Boulevard, the place Rodarte was a supervisor.
In a earlier information launch, Rodarte was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Gold whereas working as a supervisor on the restaurant, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned. Surveillance footage confirmed Gold present up for work round 5:30 p.m. on August 2, 2017, however after parking her automotive, she didn’t go contained in the restaurant; she as a substitute acquired into the passenger seat of Rodarte’s parked automotive, authorities mentioned. Lower than quarter-hour later, what a quick struggle ensued within the automobile, and Gold was by no means seen popping out from the automotive. As a substitute, Rodarte acquired out and went to Gold’s automotive, opening the motive force’s aspect door and reaching inside earlier than going again to his automotive and driving away.
When police discovered Gold’s automotive, one of many tires had been slashed; contained in the unlocked automotive have been her purse and different belongings, as of Information 4 Jax experiences. Her household then began to obtain textual content messages from her telephone, by which Gold apparently introduced that she’d met somebody and was operating away with that particular person. Nevertheless, because of the spelling and the way the messages have been worded, her household and pals didn’t settle for that Gold was the particular person behind the texts, in keeping with the outlet.
One textual content, obtained by Gold’s brother, learn, “heyi give up im leavingwith my boyfriend i cant do that s—- anymore im superb justwant to get away,” The Florida Instances-Union experiences.
In the course of the seek for Gold, Rodarte joined her family and friends in handing out lacking particular person flyers and even instructed them that he was apprehensive, her household instructed Information 4 Jax.
Gold was lacking for 3 days earlier than Rodarte admitted, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned. In response to authorities, he admitted to killing Gold after which disposing of her physique in a neighborhood lake; members of the JSO Dive Group needed to be referred to as in to retrieve her stays.
When Gold’s physique was discovered, officers couldn’t uncover a explanation for demise, nevertheless it was clear that she had been burned and that her demise had been a “violent murder,” in keeping with a Information 4 Jax report. In the course of the trial, Rodarte claimed that he was attempting to defend himself from Gold when he grabbed her neck and heard a “pop,” however prosecutors argued in opposition to that declare.
Gold household presence through the continuing
Gold’s mother and father have been watching the proceedings on March 11, together with the prosecutor’s recounting of the main points of the case.
Calling 21-year-old Savannah Gold “my candy child, my coronary heart,” her mom learn her sufferer’s affect letter at March 11’s sentencing listening to for Lee Rodarte Jr.
Rodarte, her 32-year-old co-worker with whom she had been in a relationship, sat head down more often than not in Duval County Circuit Court docket Choose Jeb Branham’s courtroom.
“She had a full life forward of her, filled with alternative, and she or he didn’t get to expertise essentially the most stunning components,” Sharon Gold mentioned. “… Savannah was an absolute shining gentle in our lives.“
Sporting a butterfly on his lapel in honor of his daughter, as did his spouse, Daniel Gold mentioned this crime has triggered him to query each choice he made since shifting his household to Florida.
“If Savannah by no means had an opportunity to satisfy Lee Rodarte, would she nonetheless be alive,” her father mentioned. “… Why wasn’t I striving to show her self-defense? Why didn’t I attempt to show her to make use of and carry a gun?“
“As I watched the video of Savannah struggling for her life, Lee’s automotive violently shaking forwards and backwards, I noticed her lion coronary heart and glowing colours for the final time,” Daniel Gold mentioned in courtroom.
In the present day, justice arrived for Gold’s household.
“To our household, prolonged household and neighborhood, our hearts have begun to heal due to your love and help,” mentioned Dan Gold after the sentencing listening to. “We love Savannah, and we by no means realized what number of of you probably did additionally.” Following March 11’s sentencing, Gold’s household thanked the neighborhood for his or her help, Motion Information Jax experiences.