Twenty-three years after a dismembered body was found behind a dumpster in Lake City, a suspect in the murder has been arrested.
Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter says the body was found off US441 and I10 in June 1994. The remains were missing its head, hands, and legs, and investigators weren’t initially able to identify the victim or any suspect. Court records obtained by WOKV show the dismemberment was done post mortem, and was consistent with knife cuts.
In 2012, the case was assigned to a new team at CCSO, and in 2013 investigators reached out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who offered assistance. In 2014, NCMEC posted a flier online, and that ultimately led to the family of 16-year-old Fred Paul Laster coming forward in September 2015. The family had filed a missing person report with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in 1995, although Laster was from Yulee in Nassau County.
DNA provided by the family and processed by a special lab at the University of North Texas, in addition to other investigative information, led to the remains being confirmed as Laster in February 2016.
“I’m extremely proud of the detectives that worked on this difficult case. The dedication and professionalism of the initial team of investigators all the way through the present team has enabled the family to have some closure,” Hunter says.
60-year-old Ronnie Hyde was arrested Tuesday morning near his home in Jacksonville Beach. CCSO says Hyde was a “social acquaintance” of Laster’s family. The arrest warrant and affidavit obtained by WOKV shows family of the victim reported Hyde as Laster’s last contact. Family also told investigators that, in the several times they had spoken with Hyde since Laster’s disappearance, he gave inconsistent accounts of when he last saw the teen.
Laster’s siblings reported they first met Hyde in the 1980s when he was working as a youth pastor at a Jacksonville church. At one point, one of them also lived with Hyde, according to statements recorded in the court records.
Hyde has lived in the Jacksonville area most of his life and owns two properties that are being searched by the FBI- one in Jacksonville and one in Jacksonville Beach. The FBI says they will likely be on scene several days processing the scenes. Law enforcement is asking neighbors for their patience, adding that there is no ongoing threat to the community.
The arrest warrant affidavit says the torso appears to have been washed, and was found with bathtub adhesives like those used in Hyde’s home. That leads them to believe the murder and dismemberment happened in Hyde’s Jacksonville Beach home, and the body was then dumped in Lake City. The torso was also found with two knives and a bloody and ripped shirt, and investigators say Hyde’s DNA was present on the clothing. Additionally, a witness reported seeing a car of a similar description to Hyde’s by the dumpster ahead of when the remains were found.
Hyde has been booked in to the Duval County Jail on a murder charge, and will be prosecuted in the Fourth Circuit.
“Today marks an important and long awaited moment for Fred Laster’s siblings, and marks the beginning of our prosecution of their brother’s murder,” says State Attorney Melissa Nelson.
FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Charles Spencer says Hyde was previously named as a suspect in an international child exploitation case. The FBI is declining to give more information about that case at this time, saying records and other details will be released as the investigation moves forward. They have asked the public to come forward with any information on Hyde, though, because he has worked as a counselor with various organizations and, therefore, it’s possible there could be other child victims.
“The detectives working this case, working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, have identified five other living children and reunited them with their family over the course of this 23 year investigation,” Spencer said.
The Columbia County Sheriff's Office tells WOKV that none of those cases are directly related to the Hyde investigation, rather they were the result of investigative work by detectives in the Hyde case.
If you have any information, the FBI Jacksonville has established a 24-hour tip line at 904-248-7000.
Statements made to investigators and recorded in the arrest warrant affidavit show that Laster’s family noted that Hyde liked to spend time with “young male boys with problems”. The affidavit further says, when Laster’s sister and a sibling- it’s unclear because of redactions whether it is Laster or another sibling- were spending a night at Hyde’s house about a year before the murder, the sister awoke to find Hyde naked and attempting to wake the other person.
Laster’s family was notified about the arrest, but has asked for privacy at this time, releasing the following statement: "We, the immediate family of Fred Paul Laster, have gathered together at this time to support each other as we experience the intense emotions caused by the heartbreaking loss of “Freddy” and the arrest of his killer. We appreciate the thoughts and prayers of the community, and wish to thank our law enforcement personnel and support agencies for their diligence and perseverance in this case. Although some extended family has chosen to make statements to the media, we, his father and siblings, decline to be interviewed at this time. We request privacy as we grieve and focus on laying Freddy to rest. Thank you for your understanding.”
Hunter says there is still a lot of work to do.
“We’ve got a lot of unanswered questions ourselves that we’re trying to put together,” he says.
He vowed to continue the investigation wherever the evidence leads them.
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