Weeks after Florida rodeo teen Caden Rex Speight went missing and was found a day later, authorities have arrested the 17-year-old in connection with what investigators said had long alleged: the dramatic disappearance was a fabricated abduction.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office reported this week that Speight was arrested on charges of presenting false evidence, shooting into a conveyance, making a false report of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a minor. The arrest follows a two-week investigation that revealed the dramatic search began with what authorities say was a fabricated crime scene.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies first responded to a report of gunfire along Southwest Highway 484 on September 25. At the scene, they found Speight’s truck abandoned, its windshield shattered by a bullet hole, and apparent blood inside the cab. Witnesses claimed he had been kidnapped by several men in a van, prompting an Amber Alert across Florida, deploying a helicopter overnight to locate the presumed-missing teenager.
Investigators said they later discovered that Speight had purchased a bicycle and camping gear from a Walmart in Ocala earlier that day. Surveillance and forensic evidence indicated he fired the gun himself, spread his own blood in the vehicle, and destroyed his phone to support the kidnapping story. He was eventually found in Williston, suffering from what authorities now confirm was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg.
“He attempted to continue the ruse and had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg, which shattered his femur and required medical treatment,” reported the Sheriff’s Office. “While continuing the investigation, detectives additionally learned that Speight had mentioned running away before, and they located ChatGPT searches on his laptop about collecting his blood without causing pain and Mexican cartels.”
Upon his arrest, Speight was transported to the department of Juvenile Justice. No further information about court proceedings has been made available.
AGDAILY does not normally identify minors charged in criminal cases, but the Marion County Sheriff’s Office already publicly shared Speight’s name and photo on social media.
»Read Previous Coverage: Florida teen found safe after farm-truck shooting sparks Amber Alert
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