published: Friday, October 12, 2012
Rodriguez, Felipe indicted for first-degree murder in Doty death
News-Sun staff
SEBRING – Kenneth E. Felipe Jr., 19, and Jonathan R. Rodriguez, 22, will now face first-degree murder charges in the June death of Aaron Doty. First degree murder is a capital felony charge with no bond set.
According to Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton, a grand jury on Thursday indicted Felipe and Rodriguez for the premeditated murder of Doty by “causing trauma to the head and/or by thermal burns.”
The two are also each indicted with kidnapping (facilitate felony), a first degree felony, and tamper/fabricate with physical evidence, a third degree felony. Again, with no bond set.
The report indicates that the capias was served by sheriff’s detectives to the young men inside the Highlands County Jail.
Doty, 20, was allegedly beaten into unconsciousness at a party by Felipe and Rodriguez the morning of June 10. The men then loaded Doty into a truck and took him out to the woods, where Doty was set on fire while still alive.
Doty’s burned body was found in a wooded area in Sun ’N Lake later that day.
Felipe and Rodriguez, who lived at 5504 Granada Blvd. where the fight took place, were arrested June 13 after fleeing to Orlando. They were originally charged with second-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body and tampering with physical evidence.
Read the News-Sun and its website for additional information as it becomes available.