However, as the leader and one who actually went through with taking the couple’s lives, Rod received a death sentence, making him the youngest person in American history to be sentenced in such a way. His charges were later reduced to 2,000 years in prison. That’s life for a human, but not for a vampire.
Howard, Rod’s right-hand man, was sentenced to life in prison as well. Rod later claimed that together they danced around the murdered bodies. Meanwhile, Charity and Heather were sentenced to 17.5 and 10.5 years in prison, respectively.
As you might expect for such a grisly, unusual turn of events, Rod’s story caught the imagination of many in the world of entertainment, and adaptations soon followed. One of the many horror films was 2002’s Vampire Clan, which even used the real names of the key figures involved.
Today the chances of Rod ever leaving prison are practically impossible. He was also diagnosed with several different mental illnesses, including schizotypal personality disorder. This was a contributing factor to be sure, but his upbringing also played a role in how these awful events unfolded…
In 1997, the year after her son’s crimes, Rod’s 34-year-old mother was tried for sending sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old boy. Worse yet, they included phrases like “I longed… to become a vampire, a part of the family, immortal and truly yours forever,” indicating that Rod may have gotten some disturbing ideas from her.
Rod may not see another day outside of prison, but whatever his motivations, that’s probably for the best. It’s scary to think that his crimes ever happened in the first place.
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