On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Major Crimes Detective Jason Williams arrested 17-year-old Caden Speight for Presenting False Evidence, Shooting into a Conveyance, Making a False Report of a Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Minor.
On September 25, 2025, at around 4:10 p.m., MCSO deputies responded to the 12800 block of SW Highway 484 in Dunnellon after Speight texted his family that he had been shot, and Life360 showed this as his last known location. When deputies arrived, they located the truck that Speight had been driving; however, he was nowhere to be found.
A vast amount of MCSO resources and personnel, along with numerous other law enforcement agencies, were deployed to search for Speight and collect evidence at the alleged crime scene. Crime Scene Technicians observed a bullet hole through the windshield of the vehicle, suspected blood, Speight’s severely damaged cellphone, drag marks in the dirt, and bicycle tracks leading away from his truck. Further investigation and testing revealed that Speight had fired the shot through the windshield, splattered a mixture of blood in the truck, and destroyed his cell phone. Speight then fled the area on a bicycle with camping supplies he purchased at Walmart just before reporting this incident. An eyewitness also advised that he saw Speight leaving the area on a bicycle.
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. On September 26, 2025, Williston Police Department (WPD) officers located Speight during a call for service at 727 W Noble Avenue in Williston. Speight was found with a handgun and the bicycle still in his possession. He attempted to continue the ruse and had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg, which shattered his femur and required medical treatment.
At the conclusion of their investigation, a warrant was obtained for Speight’s arrest. He was ultimately placed under arrest and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Original Article: https://iontb.com/update-on-missing-endangered-juvenile-caden-rex-speight/