John Jefferson
Background: The Melbourne, Fla. neighborhood where the alleged fight between Julien Welch-Beddoe and his late father, Francis Welch, took place (Google Maps). Inset: Julien Welch-Beddoe (Melbourne Police Department).
A Florida man was charged with manslaughter following the beating death of his father, which occurred after the two had an argument over a plate of food.
According to an arrest affidavit, Julien Welch-Beddoe, 19, engaged in a physical altercation with his father, Francis Welch, 45, on the night of Jan. 19. The fight, as Welch-Beddoe told police, began when the younger man went to make himself “a plate” of food. The older man reportedly told his son “that he didn’t deserve to have it because he wasn’t working.” Welch-Beddoe made himself dinner anyway and as he was bringing the food to his bedroom, Welch “pushed him.”
The physical fight continued, then escalated when Welch-Beddoe allegedly placed his father in a headlock and punched him “two to three times” in the ribs. The son also allegedly got his father in a chokehold on the floor. Welch’s fiancee tried to intervene, and the two were separated. Welch-Beddoe went back to his bedroom.
The affidavit stated that a few minutes after Welch and his fiancee were left by themselves, Welch-Beddoe heard his father’s fiancee yell, “This isn’t a joke!” When the son went back to the living room to see what was happening, he reportedly saw that his father was “unresponsive.” The affidavit described Welch’s condition, stating that he was “breathing through his mouth” and “appeared to turn yellow/pale.” At that point, they called for medical assistance.
Welch was taken to Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after midnight on Jan. 20. It was then that Welch-Beddoe stopped cooperating with police and wouldn’t speak without a lawyer present, the affidavit said.
An autopsy revealed that Welch died due to internal bleeding of his spleen, which was caused by a laceration from one of his three broken ribs. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Welch-Beddoe was charged with manslaughter and arrested on Feb. 5. He was booked into the Brevard County Jail on $50,000 bond. His next court date is on March 25.
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