Facebook murder suspect Steve Stephens kills himself after traffic stop
ERIE, Pa. — Facebook murder suspect Steve Stephens was found dead inside a vehicle in Pennsylvania following a brief pursuit on Tuesday, according to police.
Stephens was found dead inside a white Ford Fusion, according to the Erie Times-News.
Police said he was reported by an employee after stopping at McDonald's for Chicken McNuggets.
Police say Stephens, 37, murdered a man on East 93rd Street in Cleveland Sunday afternoon. Stephens posted a video of the crime on his Facebook page, then in a series of other live videos, claimed to kill others.
The search is over
For two days, authorities across the country scrambled to find Stephens, the man wanted for the death of Robert Godwin -- a self-taught mechanic and grandfather of 14.
Godwin's daughter Brenda Haymon learned of Stephens' death as she was planning funeral arrangements for her father.
"All I can say is that I wish he had gone down in a hail of one hundred bullets," Brenda Haymon told CNN. "I wish it had gone down like that instead of him shooting himself."
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Godwin was shot while walking home from an Easter meal Sunday in Cleveland.
More than 400 tips had funneled in from as far away as Texas, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said Tuesday. Many were reported sightings that turned out to be false.
Victim's family offered forgiveness
Robert Godwin Sr.
Through their tears, several of Godwin's children said they held no animosity against Stephens.
"Each one of us forgives the killer, the murderer," Godwin's daughter Tonya Godwin Baines said Monday.
Godwin taught his children the value of hard work. He taught them how to love God and fear God, and how to forgive, his children said.
"They don't make men like him anymore. He was definitely one in a million," said another daughter, Debbie Godwin.
Suspect cited anger with his girlfriend
The police chief said Stephens apparently chose Godwin at random.
Stephens' mother, Maggie Green, said her son stopped by her house Saturday and gave her a cryptic message.
"He said this (was) the last time I was going to see him," Green said.
They spoke briefly the next day, his mother said. Before Green's phone died, Stephens told her he was "shooting people" because he was "mad with his girlfriend" of about three years, his mother said.
Later Sunday, Stephens uploaded a video to his Facebook page showing a gun pointed at a man's head.
Seconds before the shooting, Stephens asked the victim to say the name of a woman believed to associated with the suspect.
"She's the reason why this is about to happen to you," Stephens said.
Then, the gunman fires the weapon. The victim recoils and falls to the ground.
Stephens claimed on Facebook that he had committed multiple homicides, but police said they had no knowledge of other victims. He had many traffic violations but no criminal record, Williams said.
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Woman cited by suspect is 'overwhelmed'
The woman believed to be associated with the suspect has told multiple news agencies that she was "overwhelmed" by the tragedy.
"Steve really is a nice guy... He is generous with everyone he knows. He was kind and loving to me and my children," she told CBS News.
Williams said police have spoken to the woman, and she is safe and cooperating with the investigation. The woman's neighbors told CNN that Stephens often stayed at her Twinsburg home with her three young girls. One resident said Stephens was there two days ago, fixing the home's garage.
Suspect worked with children
Stephens was employed at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency in northeastern Ohio that serves children, teenagers and families, according to a spokeswoman for the facility.
"We are shocked and horrified like everyone else," said Nancy Kortemeyer. "To think that one of our employees could do this is awful."
She said Stephens was a vocational specialist who worked with youth and young adults. He had previously worked as a youth mentor, she said.
Victim was celebrating Easter
Robert Godwin was walking home from a holiday meal with his family when he encountered the gunman on a sidewalk.
Haymon, Godwin's youngest child from his first marriage, said he was the father of 10.
"He lived a good life," she said. "He's a man people should model themselves after."
CNN's Gary Tuchman reported from Cleveland, with Holly Yan and Darran Simon writing from Atlanta. CNN's Sara Ganim, Lawrence Crook, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Kwegyirba Croffie, Brynn Gingras and Chris Boyette also contributed to this report.