Ricky Rodriguez

Case record: Ricky Rodriguez

Status

Ricky Rodriguez committed suicide by shooting himself the same day.

Background

Ricky Rodriguez, also known as Davidito, used the legal names Richard Peter Rodriguez, Richard Peter Smith and David Moses Zerby. He lived from January 25, 1975 to January 9, 2005.

Ricky Rodriguez was a former member of the Children of God (COG), now known as The Family International (TFI). The group later published as The Family International.

Rodriguez was born in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. He was the natural son of Karen Zerby and a Spanish hotel employee whom she “Flirty Fished”. He was considered to be the adopted son of David Berg, Zerby’s partner and leader of the COG, although no official adoption ever took place.

Rodriguez later developed resentment towards Berg and Zerby because of the sexual abuse he had suffered as a child. His sister, Christina Teresa Zerby (also known as Techi), grew up with him and still was a member of The Family International, and did not hold the same views.

The group published a childcare manual in January 1982 describing the education, home life, and care of Rodriguez. The manual included photographs depicting the child engaged in sexual activity with his governesses, particularly Sara Kelley (also known as Sara Davidito or Prisca Kelley). The COG later ordered this book to be heavily sanitized and eventually destroyed completely. In the late 1990s, it was reprinted in heavily sanitized form. Copies of the original still existed in collections of former members, and some former members provided them to law enforcement agencies.

Other details

Rodriguez was once in line to be the next holy prince in the Christian sect Children of God, now known as the Family International.

San-Francisco-based reporter Don Lattin reported on the sect since the early 1970s. Rodriguez’s videotape pushed Lattin to spend the last two years investigating the motives behind Rodriguez’s violent legacy. The result was the book “Jesus Freaks”.

Lattin said he was intrigued by the video of Rodriguez, “the drama of loading the bullets and sharpening his knife. He loved action movies so, you think, he almost saw this as a movie. I just had to get to the bottom of this. What was really behind this?”

Lattin also said, “What could turn a kid, who was raised to be prophet in this group that claimed to be Christian, claimed to have love and compassion for mankind … What could turn him into a kind of raging monster?”

ABC News reported: “The Tragic Legacy of the Children of God New Book 'Jesus Freaks' Explores Motives Behind a Violent Revenge By Jay Schadler and Karson Yiu” (Nov. 1, 2007).

In the morning of January 15, 2005 (per the included New York Times reference), “Murder and Suicide Reviving Claims of Child Abuse in Cult” by Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times (January 15, 2005) was referenced.

The offence

Rodriguez stabbed Angela Smith to death in his apartment in January 2005. He then drove to Blythe, California, where he shot himself in the head.

In the video released for friends, family and former members, Rodriguez explained his actions.

In the New York Times account, Rodriguez said he saw himself as “a vigilante avenging children like him and his sisters who had been subject to rapes and beatings.”

Rodriguez said, “There's this need that I have.” Rodriguez said, “It's not a want. It's a need for revenge.” Rodriguez said, “It's a need for justice, because I can't go on like this.”

An ABC News passage included Rodriguez recording his final thoughts on Jan. 7, 2005, as he prepared to embark on a violent rampage of revenge:

“Some of the things I'm going to try to do are rather shocking, and maybe not right in a lot of people's books,” he said on a chilling videotape.
“I'm just loading my mags here. Hope you guys don't mind if I do that while I talk.”
“There is this need that I have,” he said on the tape.
“This need. It's not a want. And I wish it wasn't. But it is. It's a need for revenge. It's a need for justice. Because I can't go on like this.”

Investigation

No investigation facts were stated as separate events.

Arrest

No arrest facts were stated as separate events.

Trial

No trial facts were stated.

Sentencing

No sentencing facts were stated.

Appeals

No appeals were stated.

Outcome

Rodriguez killed Angela Smith and then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

Dispute regarding child sexual abuse

The extent to which Rodriguez was subject to child sexual abuse was disputed.

In a 1994 interview with David Millikan regarding incidents recorded in “Story of Davidito”, Rodriguez said:

“People feel that the sexual activities I had occurred so much more than it really did. They believe it had a bigger emphasis and played a greater part than it did. If they think my early life revolved around sex it's going to seem very weird, but I know this wasn't the case, so it was not such a big deal to me.”

David Millikan also wrote: “I pointed out to him that under most legal definitions of sexual abuse, Sara and the other women who participated in sex with him would be found guilty.”

A book titled “Sex, Slander and Salvation” was funded and edited by The Family. In that book, Lawrence Lilliston wrote:

“The Davidito book does relate David's early witnessing of sexual behavior and encouragement to explore his own sexuality, and while these experiences would be characterized as sexually abusive or neglectful by most child abuse experts, there is no report of his having been actively molested or abused by adults. Moreover, there is no evidence of long-term negative effects on David. The first author, a clinical child psychologist with thirty years of experience, recently administered a psychological evaluation to David, who is now nineteen, and found him to be a bright, well-adjusted, and emotionally strong young man.”

When Lilliston attempted to submit his conclusions as testimony in a child custody case involving The Family in the UK, presiding judge Lord Justice Sir Alan Ward stated:

“ [Lilliston's observations of another young man born in the Family] seem to me to be superficial and to lack academic credibility. Likewise his conclusion about Davidito. This was an opportunity to explore exactly what had taken place in Berg's household. He merely touched upon these matters and Davidito made it obvious he was not prepared to talk about it. Nor did they talk about the reasons which impelled that young man [Ricky Rodriguez, aka Davidito] to make attempts on his life said by The Family to have been caused by Satanic influences. Because I conclude that Dr Lilliston was not too concerned critically to examine The Family's past, I cannot be sure I get an accurate picture from him. ”

Relationship and group history details

Rodriguez’s mother, Karen Zerby, was a close confidante of Berg.

In a referenced description of Children of God, Berg advocated “free love” among disciples, including adult-child sex. Berg’s “law of love” urged young women to win converts by prostituting themselves, described as “flirty fishing”.

Virginia Brandt Berg was described as Berg’s mother and one of the first famous radio evangelists.

Ex-member Davida Kelley was described as becoming the princess to Rodriguez’ prince. Kelley said:

“We were both raised and nurtured to be the future leaders of the Family or the End Time prophets, so to speak,” Kelley said. “We were programmed to believe that.”

Kelley also said:

“Going way back, I think we could refer to my generation as the second generation and … I would say we were experimental, test-tube kind of babies so to speak,” she said.

Kelley said Berg was “obviously very inspired, very possessed and very fanatical, but he was also a pedophile.”

Kelley said about a commandment regarding sexual interaction between adults and children:

“At that time, myself or other young girls who were in the Unit at the time as apprentices, so to speak, would be required to crawl into bed and interact with David Berg,” said Kelley.

Kelley said:

“I lived with David Berg from the time I was born till age 13.”

When asked if she ever witnessed Ricky being sexually abused, Kelley said:

“Oh yes, of course … [by] all the adult women. Most of them, at least, in the Unit.”

Kelley also said she witnessed Karen Zerby abusing him.

In 1986, after official investigations and lawsuits, The Family International renounced sexual contact between adults and children.

Rodriguez left the sect in 2001.

Timeline

• January 1982 — The group published a childcare manual describing Rodriguez’s education, home life, and care.
• 1986 — The Family International officially renounced sexual contact between adults and children.
• 1994 — Rodriguez gave a 1994 interview to David Millikan regarding incidents recorded in “Story of Davidito”.
• 2001 — Rodriguez separated from TFI; he and Elixcia Munumel separated from TFI.
• September 2004 — After separating from his wife, Rodriguez moved to Tucson, Arizona and worked as an electrician.
• January 2005 — Rodriguez arranged a meeting with Angela Smith and stabbed her to death in his apartment; he then drove to Blythe, California and shot himself in the head.
• Jan. 7, 2005 — Rodriguez recorded his final thoughts on a videotape.
• January 15, 2005 — “Murder and Suicide Reviving Claims of Child Abuse in Cult” by Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times was referenced.
• Nov. 1, 2007 — “Jesus Freaks” described motives behind Rodriguez’s violent revenge in the referenced ABC News material.

Aftermath

Rodriguez released a video to be distributed to friends, family and former members explaining his actions.

In the videotape, Rodriguez said:

“Man, if I don't get to her … I'm going to keep hunting her in the next life, let me tell you,” Rodriguez said on the tape.
“And I'm going to keep going until somebody gets her or I get her -- justice will be done. Believe me.”

Lattin said:

“No leaders of the family have been brought to justice for this, for what they acknowledge was child abuse. People say, 'why? How could that be?' Well, there's a statute of limitations. A lot of this happened a long time ago and almost all of it happened outside of the U.S. by people who kept constantly changing their names,” he said. “So even the victims, the kids themselves, often don't know who abused them.”

Lattin said Zerby remained the spiritual leader of the Family International, while the group refused or was unable to report her whereabouts.

Family International spokeswoman Claire Borowik said via e-mail:

“Lattin's effort to analyze the life and motives of Ricky Rodriguez and the murder/suicide he committed in 2005 was undoubtedly a challenging task … Although Lattin's book does contain some sound research and factual information, it is laced with inaccuracies, misconceptions and erroneous conclusions lacking a factual base -- not to mention, sketchy research. Information provided by a handful of apostates with a clearly delineated agenda to demonize the Family is deemed credible, whereas information proceeding from current Family members is deemed questionable, at best”

In included quoted exchange (by names shown), Jay Schadler asked:

“Why do you think Karen Zerby is nowhere to be found?”

Claire Borowik answered:

“We don't look on it as nowhere to be found. She's very present in her writings.”

Jay Schadler asked:

“Do you know where she is?”

Claire Borowik answered:

“Do I know where … no. Not necessarily, no. ”

Jay Schadler asked:

“You don't? The Pope is a spiritual lead. We know where he is. Karen is a spiritual leader. And we don't know where she is. And her son just committed suicide.”

Claire Borowik answered:

“I'm aware of that.”

Jay Schadler asked:

“So why don't we know where she is?”

Claire Borowik answered:

“That's her policy. That's all I can tell you.”

People involved

• Ricky Rodriguez — defendant and suicide; also referred to as Davidito.
• David Berg — leader of the COG; described as partner of Karen Zerby.
• Karen Zerby — mother of Ricky Rodriguez.
• Christina Teresa Zerby (Techi) — sister of Ricky Rodriguez.
• Elixcia Munumel — Rodriguez’s wife.
• Angela Smith (formerly Susan Joy Kauten) — stabbed to death in Rodriguez’s apartment.
• David Millikan — interviewer in a 1994 interview with Rodriguez.
• Lawrence Lilliston — author in “Sex, Slander and Salvation”.
• Lord Justice Sir Alan Ward — judge in a UK child custody case involving The Family.
• Claire Borowik — spokeswoman for Family International.
• Jay Schadler — interviewer named in the included exchange.
• Don Lattin — reporter and author associated with “Jesus Freaks”.
• Virginia Brandt Berg — described as Berg’s mother.
• Davida Kelley — ex-member described as princess to Rodriguez’ prince.
• Sara Kelley (also known as Sara Davidito or Prisca Kelley) — associated with photographs and sexual activity depictions in the childcare manual.