Law&Crime Sidebar - ‘Evil’ Kentucky Killer's Savage Triple Murder of Teens, Man: The Brice Rhodes Story

Episode Date: March 15, 2024

Brice Rhodes will spend the rest of his life behind bars after killing a man in a drive-by shooting, then brutally beating and stabbing two teen brothers for “snitching” about the crime. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber has a rundown of the long legal road just to get to trial, Rhodes’ most egregious courtroom outbursts, and the gut-wrenching testimony from his co-defendants that helped put him away.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Stop data brokers from exposing your information. Go to https://aura.com/lawandcrime to get a 14-day free trial and see if your personal information has been compromised.HOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael DeiningerScript Writing & Producing - Savannah WilliamsonGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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I just know I can't really say this has been by far one of the most tragic cases I've ever been involved in He is the murderer who's been called pure evil by a detective. Bryce Rhodes will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a Kentucky judge sentenced him for three brutal killings nearly a decade ago. We're breaking down everything we know about this convicted killer as family members of multiple victims try to heal.

Welcome to Sidebar, presented by law and crime. I'm Jesse Weber. It took almost 10 years, but 33-year-old, Bryce Rhodes has officially been sentenced for savagely killing three people. 40-year-old Christopher Jones, a man who was just out walking in the Louisville area that Rhodes mistook for the target of a hit and two teenage boys, 16-year-old Maurice Gordon and 14-year-old Larry Ordway. And Gordon and Orway were brothers. Now, in December, it only took the jury a few hours to return a guilty verdict against Rhodes

for the murders, as well as tampering with evidence and two counts of abuse of a corpse. Now, there is a lot to get into when it comes to the Bryce Rhodes case. So that's what this is going to be. This is going to be a recap, a summary of everything we know from beginning to end. And there is a lot. So let's go back to 2016, because that is when, according to prosecutors, they say Bryce Rhodes believed that there was a hit out on this local man, and he recruited several teenage boys to go with him to carry out this assassination, promising them part of the money

that he would get for the killing. while Rhodes ended up shooting and killing Christopher Jones in a drive-by shooting with the two young brothers in the car. Now, tragically, of course, any, killing any assassination is horrible, but here, Jones wasn't even the real target of this supposed hit. Rhodes killed an innocent man. Now, by the way, I should tell you, it was reported that Larry and Maurice, they looked up to Rhodes. He was an aspiring rapper.

He reportedly featured them in music videos. He would buy them clothes and food. That's what the reporting indicated. But after this drive-by shooting, these brothers allegedly told their mother about what happened. And we learned from testimony during the trial that Rhodes found out that they snitched and decided something had to be done. Well, not long after, Maurice and Larry's bodies were found eaten, stabbed, and burned in the backyard of an abandoned house. So we always talk about personal security and safety on sidebar, and that's why I want to highlight our sponsor, Orad. Now, you might not know this, but your personal information could be collected by data brokers,

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description. Now, there were a lot of reasons this took so long to go to trial. Rhodes had multiple attorneys that were assigned to him that either refused to work with or even outright threat. He waited more than a year for a competency evaluation. And of course, the court system was severely hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. But what really made headlines when we talk about Bryce Rhodes was his behavior. So this is a guy who was charged in 2017 with escape for trying to literally dig his way out of the county jail. That's what we're talking.

He also reportedly spit on one attorney who tried to recuse himself for a conflict of interest, accused police of framing him for the murders, even accuse one judge of being a secret member of the KKK. And it's my right to speak what I need to speak on. I don't know if I got some type of. a sexual relationship going on or which I got going on, but I'm definitely going to speak my man. Detective Detellie and I have no sexual relationship. Now I'm talking about you and a prosecutor over us, sir.

You denied out of my motions. Every motion I've denied. I'm pretty sure I've denied the best. Every motion I've found. Are you some type of racist? Are you got some type of sexual relationship going on? Which one is it? Or are you just wrong in everything that you've made motion for?

Are you a secret Ku Klux Klan member? No, sir. Is that what you really are? Nope. Okay. I'm not. But like I said, the higher courts, they'll deal with it when time comes necessary. At another point, Bryce Rhodes was accused of spitting on an inmate, beating up and threatening another, and according to an arrest warrant, even allegedly threatened to kill that inmate, quote, like he did the others.

So at one point, given all of this going on, Bryce Rhodes, was strapped to a chair and fitted with a spit mask when he was brought into court. Mr. Rhodes, you can just bring him up right here. I think you know why. You know exactly why. Now, listen, stop talking. You have been... Are you done? No, I'm doing.

You've been charged in the fourth degree. I'm going to keep talking because I don't want to have to see you back here for this. What you think of? So you're saying you're going to find out where I'm going to find out where I'm going to I live at. Okay. You've been charged with assault in the fourth degree, minor injury, terroristic threatening in the third degree, and hithful contact.

I am setting a bond of 15,000 full cash on those charges, and the other case, once this actually gets served on you, is going to be dismissed without prejudice as duplicate. Do you have any questions? Would you like an appointment of a public defender? I just said that. I just said that. But would you like an attorney? Okay.

I'm going to appoint public senator's office. Ms. Schroaring, that was a threat against the court. I think that I'm asking the county attorney's office to take that into account and consider what to do with that. Did you catch that? that? Because he basically told Judge Amber Wolf that he can find out where she lives as well as her family, seemingly implying that if he ever got out of jail, he would hurt them. Yeah. Now, there was also what happened in January of 2019. So Elizabeth Marie Wren, this is Maurice and Larry's mother. She lunged at Rhodes as he was being led from the courtroom, allegedly screaming as the bailiffs were

holding her back, screaming, lock me up, lock me up. Why don't you let me get to him? He's sick. Now, when it came to the issue of competency, which I mentioned before, Judge Julie Kalin, who would end up being the trial judge here, she ruled that Bryce Rhodes was competent to stand trial, but not eligible for the death penalty due to documented mental illness and an intellectual disability. By the way, when we talk about competency, we don't mean insanity. That's something different. Competency means the ability of a criminal defendant to understand and participate in the

legal proceedings. Do they understand the charges they're wrong? rights, what's going on. So the trial went ahead, and that is what we want to get into. Now, in the lead up to his murder trial, Bryce Rhodes was a very controversial and brash figure, often speaking out of turn in court, shouting at his attorneys, threatening court officials. Well, Judge Kalin decided that when he went to trial at the end of 2023, he would be fitted with an ankle cuff that would literally shock him if he disturbed the proceedings. But much to everyone's surprise, at least mine, Rhodes.

was actually silent during his trial. He didn't testify in his own defense. He didn't make any sort of remarks from the defense table. In fact, you could argue he almost looked bored most of the time. That's the way I saw it, although it's hard to know what he was thinking or feeling. However, the testimony that he was forced to listen to was really difficult for us to listen to. Ann Juan Carter, Jacori Taylor, and Tiernan Coleman, they were all part of Rhodes's circle. They all entered plea deals for their roles in the death of the murders of Christopher Jones and Larry Ordway and Marie Scored him. I mean, these brothers were reportedly their friends. But now, Rhodes did have some things to say about that during a pretrial hearing.

See, to sum everything up, detectives were told numerous lies in fabrications about the informant, and they were laid on a wild goose chase by someone who made up a story who just thought just so they can get out of jail. Okay, so as part of their plea deals, Carter and Taylor were required to testify. Carter was first. He was 15 at the time of these murders. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit on the stand, and it's our understanding he is incarcerated, but not in connection with this case. Apparently, he was on probation for this case, aged out of the juvenile system, but he

was later convicted on burglary charges. While on the stand, he explained what happened on May 22, 2016, the day these brothers were killed. This is when the teens were hanging out at Bryce Road's home, and Maurice allegedly pointed a knife at another boy. What did Bryce do after he took the knife? He's like he going to violate him. Okay.

Bryce is going to violate Maurice, and can you explain in general terms? What does it mean to violate somebody? What's that term mean? What it means, like, to inflict pain, like, he could just him and incest. if you could have been a various of things. It's like disciplining of the person. Yeah.

And Carter would explain that Rhodes locked the brothers in a bathroom, then brought out Maurice, punching and stabbing him repeatedly and forcing the others who were there to do the same. Then Larry was brought out next. Now, these guys are your best friends, right? Yeah. What's wrong through your mind?

Make sure I get out. What's that? Make sure I get up. I try to say it's my ask question. I'm safe. What would it stop to you from getting out? Probably if I didn't go along with it. What would have happened?

Probably been with him. Probably in the same situation. Same fate. All right. So they bring Larry out of the bathroom. So you have, when does he get the sock? He already, been like, he had the belt, he had a hat. He got the sock.

He got the sock music when it was his turn. Okay, when you say he had the belt, what do you mean? His hands was already tabbed in his back. He had a hat over his eyes, so he couldn't see. And he had a sock in his mouth? He got his sock when it was his term. Is he making noises? That's it.

He started making noises when he started getting his stout. Was he on his knees? Yeah. Did he know what had happened to his brother? No. Was he, was there blood in the spot that he was at? Yeah. Did he respond to that?

Yeah, he started, like, trying to kick everything. thing off, get his hands in tight, get his hands free and stuff. Was his brother making any noise at that point? Brother, I already did. So how many times did he get stabbed? I don't know. A lot. Who was stabbing him?

He stabbed him until he was dead. Bryce did? Yeah. Then he passed the knife around. Who did he pass the knife to? She passed it to me. Why did he pass you the knife? They're both dead, right?

Yeah, they're both dead, but we all, he said, so we're all going to be in it. So you would participate? So what did you have to do with the knife? Stab him. Who'd you stab? Larry. How many times did you stab Larry? Like three.

What'd you do with the knife? She'd pass it back to him. What'd he do with the knife? She passes to pass him to somebody else. It's absolutely horrific to think about. Carter says that they loaded the bodies into a car, and he and Jacori Taylor stayed behind to clean the apart. while Rhodes went to dispose of the evidence.

And speaking of which, during this trial, we heard from co-defendant Taylor. He was 17 in May of 2016 when this went down. Taylor also accepted a plea deal. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but because of time served and only having to serve a percentage of a sentence, he got out in 2021. Now, after some basic questions from the prosecution, Taylor refused to answer anything else. Hey, Mr. Taylor, I want to turn to the May 4th.

I ain't got nothing to say. Sir, leading up to May 4th of 2016, can you tell us what happened? I ain't got nothing to say. I respect what I'm doing here, but I ain't got nothing to say about the incident. So what happened? Judge Kalin had an attorney from the public defender's office come to the courtroom to talk with Taylor. All right, Mr. Taylor, I'm going to give you some time to talk to Mr. Farachio, who is here at my request as your attorney. But let me say this. When a question is asked of you, you can answer it. Yes, no, or I don't remember. And if you want to, you can explain more beyond that. But simply not answering will result in me holding you in contempt of court and putting you in jail likely. Additionally, it could open you up to other consequences, such as your prior plea deal being taken away and all of the charges against you being reinstated. Now, I do not care how you answer. but you will either answer or remain in the jail.

Mr. Farachio, I'll do you some time to speak with him now. They met in the conference room for several minutes, then court was back in session, and Taylor finally answered the prosecutor's questions. His testimony pretty much aligned up with what Carter had already said about the drive-by shooting as well as the killings of Maurice and Larry. Why didn't you and Anwan just leave during the night? You said, why didn't you?

While he was gone. It was too scared of y'all. I wasn't even in my right state of man at that point. Me personally, I never seen, I never witnessed. I've seen nothing like that in my life. So, I don't know why we didn't leave me. I'm going to be honest. I just know we were scared.

We just went along. We just did what he told us to do. Again, just a horrifying, chilling account of what happened to these two boys. But then on Friday, December 15th, the prosecution rested its case. And the defense called no witnesses, and Bryce Rhodes chose not to, testify in his own defense. While attorneys, for both sides, delivered their closing arguments, the defense went first with the prosecution getting the last word.

And during their closing arguments, the defense tried to poke holes in the police investigation and the forensic work and also reminded the jury that Ann Juan Carter and Jacori Taylor, they had to testify to satisfy their plea deals. Are they credible witnesses? These are the prosecutors star witnesses. Confessed, admitted actual murderers. Their final version is the best of the best. Their final version is we participated in murders.

That's the winner in the contest. They would have said anything the police wanted them to say. And they both admitted that their testimony in this courtroom so they could still have their deal. That's why they're equal. But what the jury heard from the prosecutor was highly. emotional and highly damning. There are so many profoundly tragic parts of this case. I don't know which is the worst.

There's Christopher Jones, father of three, crossing the street in the West End, nothing to do with any of this. Shot dead for the stupidest of reasons. Larry and Maurice killed because they did what we would want any teen to do in this circumstance. Go to your mom. These four children so desperate for adult male guidance

that they keep hanging out with Bryce even after they became scared of him because of Christopher Jones' murder. There's Jacori, who had nowhere else to go, sleeping in stairwell, is going over there even when he didn't want to, because that was a place where he could spend the night. Maurice tied up with a sock in his mouth, found, knowing his little brothers in the bathroom. Is Larry stuck in the bathroom? Not knowing what's going on outside, we hope. And then Larry's struggling when he comes out and sees the blood on the floor.

And Juan Carter and Jacori Taylor feeling they have no other option. option, but to follow the orders of that man, who force them to participate in the murder of their best friends, force them to clean up after, force them into this life that they now have, arrest, prosecution, juvenile custody, adult custody, felony convictions, prison, having to come to court and testify. That is what this man is done to this entire group of children. The jury went to the deliberation room and returned a late night guilty verdict around 9.30 p.m. No reaction from Bryce Rhodes when this was handed down. And in the penalty phase, the jury recommended life without the possibility of parole. Remember, the death penalty was taken

off the table. Now, Rhodes returned to the courtroom in March for his official sentencing hearing. The judge has to be the one to actually impose it. Well, Larry and Maurice's grandmother, Jackie Partee, addressed the court giving a victim impact statement. Little Larry played football and he didn't get the chance to finish. Lula Reese wanted music and he took that from the 14 and 16 years old. You know, I sat in this courtroom and listen to everything. Even to the corner, what something I had kept playing in my mind all along, but the corner confirmed it. But when one part, that one point

that he did to my grandkids, it just took me right there, how you just mutilated them like an animal, you know, and then throw white castle boxes all around them, just like they were trash. They wasn't trash. There was a human beings, and they loved life. Little Larry and Little Reese, they, they was good boys, very good boys. They went to school, everything. You know, it's just, I just can't understand why and how he can just take Mr. Jones's life a man walking down the street and just take his life like it's nothing again victim impact statements are a way for the court to understand what was the loss how were people affected what do these killings mean and it goes kind of into the sentencing decision a lot of times for the judges

sometimes a decision has already been made because that is statutorily the sentence that a judge has to impose but it sometimes can't affect what a judge decides to do well moving forward the defense team had an opportunity to make a short statement before the judge handed down her sentence. Given the trial that we all were present for that we all sat through and we all did our job, we understand the court doesn't really have discretion to deviate from the jury's verdict in a situation like this. The jury handed down a sentence and we understand the court is going to impose that sentence. We do believe that by operation of law, that those sentences should run concurrent.

We would ask the court to oppose them concurrently. And we do intend to file an appeal in this case. And that's our statement for the court. Well, now to Judge Kalin, she told the courtroom that this was a very hard case to oversee. I will tell you all that this has been by far one of the most tragic cases I've ever been involved in. And as someone who has represented many people charged with murder myself and having been involved in a lot of tragic cases, this one is, it really stands out for how profoundly sad it is on every level.

You know, with Mr. Jones, it's just the fact that it wasn't even the right person that they thought they were looking for is so profoundly sad. With Maurice and Larry, the fact that they were so young is so sad. It's so sad that the police had to resort to sending out sketches before anyone realized that they were gone and identified them. tragic tragic and that deserves being said everything about this case is horrific and when I came on the bench it was very important to me to get this case tried to get a resolution for everyone on both sides it needed to be done

and I am satisfied that it is done and it is over and that justice has been served and the jury was in the absolute best position to determine what the appropriate sentence should be and that this jury worked very hard and very emotionally to come to what they felt was a just verdict believe it would be a dishonor to change that in any way and so the court will follow the recommendation of the jury in line with the law and impose a sentence of life without parole. So there you have it. The tragic loss of three lives

and the man behind it will be locked up for the rest of his life. And that's all we have for you here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. As always, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. Speak to you next time.

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