A Jacksonville Beach man is charged with murdering a 16-year-old whose torso was found behind a dumpster in Columbia County in 1994.
In the arrest documents for Ronnie Hyde, Action News Jax learned that Fred Laster’s sisters told investigators that they all stayed with Hyde when he was a youth pastor at their church in the 1980s.
The FBI said there could be more victims because Hyde’s jobs had him in contact with other children. Hyde has been a licensed mental health counselor for more than 16 years and he claimed to work at Crosswater Community Church in Nocatee.
Photos: FBI raid in Jacksonville Beach
“I will say that Ron Hyde was not on staff at this church,” pastor Jack Millwood, from Crosswater Community Church, said.
The FBI notified the church of Hyde’s arrest and said he was socially known to Laster's family.
“I am personally not aware of any victims of Ron Hyde that involve anyone associated with Crosswater,” Millwood said.
But Action News Jax found that this church is listed as his address on record associated with his mental health counselor license with the state Department of Health.
Hyde is currently employed by Centurion, a Florida Department of Corrections health services contractor hired to counsel inmates.
The department sent Action News Jax the following statement:
“Ronnie Hyde is currently employed by Centurion, the Florida Department of Corrections health services contractor. The department’s Office of Inspector General is cooperating fully with the FBI, and will deploy any available resource needed to ensure this individual is held accountable. Both FDC and its contractors have zero tolerance for criminal activity and will ensure that Mr. Hyde will have no further contact with inmates.”
RELATED: FBI serves search warrant at Jacksonville Beach home of man arrested in teen's 1994 murder
According to Hyde’s Linkedin account he was an owner and therapist of “Let’s Talk,” which provides services such as marriage and family counseling.
He also lists being a therapist at Lakeview Health for more than a year and a program director at Quality Life Center for more than two years.
A woman who worked with him for more than two years said she describes him being a nice man, but also creepy.
Action News Jax found a poll on Hyde’s Facebook page that he posted in February. It lists several questions and there’s a yes or no next to them. One question asks those filling out the poll whether they ever watched someone dying and Hyde answered yes.
At last check, his license with the state is listed as clear and active with no disciplines on file.
Cox Media Group
