Ricky Rodriguez
Encyclopedia
Ricky Rodriguez, aka Davidito (legal names: Richard Peter Rodriguez, Richard Peter Smith and David Moses Zerby) (January 25, 1975 - January 9, 2005) was a former member of the Children of God (COG), now known as The Family International (TFI), who committed a murder-suicide in 2005.
, one of the Canary Islands
. He was the natural son of Karen Zerby
and a local hotel employee there 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 a deep-seated resentment towards Berg and Zerby, due to the sexual abuse
he had suffered as a child. His sister Christina Teresa Zerby (aka Techi), whom he grew up with and who is still a member of The Family, does not hold the same views.
The group published a childcare manual in January 1982 that described the education, home life, and care of Rodriguez. The 762-page book also included at least a dozen 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 90s, it was reprinted in heavily sanitized form. Copies of the original still exist in the collections of former members, some of whom have provided them to law enforcement agencies.
In September 2004, after separating from his wife, he moved to Tucson, Arizona
, and worked as an electrician. According to accounts by his friends and relatives, he moved there because he heard his mother had visited and he wanted to find her, her location being secret even to him, because he had spoken out about his childhood.
In January 2005, he arranged a meeting with a former associate of his mother's who was involved in his childhood sexual molestation, Angela Smith (formerly Susan Joy Kauten), and stabbed her to death in his apartment. He then drove to Blythe, California
, where he shot himself in the head. He released a video to be distributed to friends, family and former members explaining his actions. According to an article in the New York Times, in the video, "he said he saw himself as a vigilante avenging children like him and his sisters who had been subject to rapes and beatings." "There's this need that I have," he said. "It's not a want. It's a need for revenge. It's a need for justice, because I can't go on like this".
A book titled Sex, Slander and Salvation Lawrence Lilliston wrote:
However, when Lilliston attempted to submit his conclusions as testimony in a child custody case involving TFI in the UK
, presiding judge Lord Justice Sir Alan Ward
stated:
Childhood and sexual abuse
Rodriguez was born in TenerifeTenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
, one of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. He was the natural son of Karen Zerby
Karen Zerby
Karen Elva Zerby is the current leader of the group formerly called the Children of God, a new religious movement. The group is now called The Family International...
and a local hotel employee there whom she "Flirty Fished
Flirty fishing
Flirty Fishing is a form of evangelistic religious prostitution practiced from around 1974 to 1987 by female members in the new religious movement, the Children of God, now known as The Family International.-Etymology, definition:...
". He was considered to be the adopted son of David Berg
David Berg
David Brandt Berg , frequently known by the pseudonym Moses David, was the founder and leader of the New Religious Movement formerly called Children of God, now called "The Family International".-Early years :Berg was born to Hjalmer Emmanuel Berg and Rev...
, Zerby's partner and leader of the COG, although no official adoption ever took place. Rodriguez later developed a deep-seated resentment towards Berg and Zerby, due to the sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
he had suffered as a child. His sister Christina Teresa Zerby (aka Techi), whom he grew up with and who is still a member of The Family, does not hold the same views.
The group published a childcare manual in January 1982 that described the education, home life, and care of Rodriguez. The 762-page book also included at least a dozen 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 90s, it was reprinted in heavily sanitized form. Copies of the original still exist in the collections of former members, some of whom have provided them to law enforcement agencies.
Adulthood and murder-suicide
When Rodriguez grew to adulthood, he married Elixcia Munumel, and together they separated from TFI in 2001. Shortly after this, Rodriguez wrote an article on the Web site MovingOn.org in which he described David Berg's deviant sexual activity involving a number of women and children.In September 2004, after separating from his wife, he moved to Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, and worked as an electrician. According to accounts by his friends and relatives, he moved there because he heard his mother had visited and he wanted to find her, her location being secret even to him, because he had spoken out about his childhood.
In January 2005, he arranged a meeting with a former associate of his mother's who was involved in his childhood sexual molestation, Angela Smith (formerly Susan Joy Kauten), and stabbed her to death in his apartment. He then drove to Blythe, California
Blythe, California
Blythe is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the "Palo Verde Valley" of the Lower Colorado River Valley region, an agricultural area and part of the Colorado Desert along the Colorado River. Blythe was named after Thomas Blythe, a gold prospector who established primary...
, where he shot himself in the head. He released a video to be distributed to friends, family and former members explaining his actions. According to an article in the New York Times, in the video, "he said he saw himself as a vigilante avenging children like him and his sisters who had been subject to rapes and beatings." "There's this need that I have," he said. "It's not a want. It's a need for revenge. It's a need for justice, because I can't go on like this".
Child sexual abuse
In a 1994 interview with David Millikan regarding the incidents recorded in the "Story of Davidito", Rodriguez, who was still a member of TFI at the time, 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." Millikan also writes: "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 Lawrence Lilliston wrote:
However, when Lilliston attempted to submit his conclusions as testimony in a child custody case involving TFI in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, presiding judge Lord Justice Sir Alan Ward
Alan Ward (judge)
Sir Alan Hylton Ward , styled The Rt Hon. Lord Justice Ward, is a judge in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and a member of the Privy Council. He is married to leading London divorce solicitor, Helen Ward , a partner in Manches...
stated:
External links
- Ricky Rodriguez biography on xFamily.org, a wikiWikiA wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
about COG/TFI - Revenge Against Religious Sect: Young Man Commits Murder and Suicide. What Inspired This Extreme Revenge? ABC News 20/20 story.