Steve Stephens, the man who either live-streamed or uploaded a video (depending on the source) of his killing a retiree in cold, cold blood was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Erie, Pennsylviania.
The victim was Robert Godwin Sr., a 74-year-old former foundry worker.
Steve Stephens was spotted this morning by PSP members in Erie County. After a brief pursuit, Stephens shot and killed himself.
— PA State Police (@PAStatePolice) April 18, 2017
In a rambling video, Stephens blamed a former girlfriend he had lived with, saying he woke up last week and “couldn’t take it anymore.” He further stated that he had “snapped”.
Stephens appeared to have murdered Godwin at random. And gunned down while picking up aluminum cans Sunday afternoon after spending Easter with some of his children. “Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did,” said 52-year-old Debbie Godwin, the victims daughter. “That’s all he was doing. He wasn’t harming anyone.”
Shortly after, a manhunt began in Cleveland’s infamous east wide and quickly expanded into a nationwide search.
Steve Stephens was a 37-year-old job counselor who worked with teens and young adults, police said.
Law enforcement officials said his cellphone signal was last detected on Sunday afternoon in Erie, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Cleveland.
“He got along with everybody, so it’s just unbelievable what happened,” said Alexis Lee, a friend who saw Stephens last week.
Dozens of family, friends and community members gathered Monday evening in Cleveland for a vigil to remember Godwin. They hugged and comforted each other, while urging an end to the violence on their city streets.
In the original video, Stephens spoke of a woman named Joy Lane. She stated to CBS that “we had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this happened”. Further commenting that Stephens was “a nice guy who was generous to everyone”. The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down.
Investigators said that Godwin was the only victim so far linked to Stephens, despite his claim in a separate video on Facebook that he killed more than a dozen people.
