Steve Stephens. (Facebook)
Steve “Stevie Steve” Stephens, the man who is the subject of a manhunt in Cleveland after he murdered a stranger in a video he posted to Facebook, had a job working at a facility that helps troubled youth.
A spokesperson for Beech Brook, which is located in northeast Ohio, confirmed that Stephens worked there as a case manager. CNN said Beech Brook “serves children, teenagers and families, according to a spokeswoman for the facility.” As of April 17, he had not been arrested.
Stephens is accused of shooting to death an elderly man he didn’t know – Robert Godwin Sr. – because he was angry at his girlfriend. After demanding the victim repeat her name, Joy Lane, Stephens shot Godwin in the horrific video he then posted to Facebook. He then claimed he had committed an Easter Day massacre involving other murders, but police have found no evidence of that.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Stephens Repeatedly Flashed His Beech Brook Badge During the Shocking Video
During the video, in which Stephens randomly shoots Godwin, he repeatedly flashes his employment badge and references working at Beech Brook. Stephens then guns down Godwin, a father of nine and grandfather he didn’t know.
News5 Cleveland reports that Stephens claimed he worked as a case manager at the facility.
Listen to Stephens talk about his job:
Stephens, authorities say, is a black male who stands 6-feet 1-inch and weighs 244 pounds and has a full beard. Stephens was last seen driving a white Ford Fusion with temporary license plates, Cleveland police say.
2. Beech Brook Says It’s ‘Horrified’ by Stephens’ Actions
(Facebook)
Beech Brook officials weren’t very specific about Stephens’ duties there, but they issued statements expressing shock and horror. According to Cleveland19, Beech Brook is a “behavioral health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, with an office on Woodland Avenue in Cleveland.”
“We are shocked and horrified like everyone else,” said Nancy Kortemeyer, a spokeswoman for Beech Brook told CNN. “To think that one of our employees could do this is awful.”
“We are shocked,” the facility repeated to News 5 Cleveland. “We learned about the incident via Facebook. We are horrified. We are hoping for a quick resolution and we hope no one else is harmed.”
3. Beech Brook Says It Helps Northeast Ohio’s ‘Most Vulnerable’ Children & Families
Steve Stephens.
It’s an odd twist to the story that Stephens worked for an organization that helps the vulnerable.
Beech Brook’s LinkedIn page says, “Since 1852, Beech Brook has been helping Northeast Ohio’s most vulnerable children and families. Over the past year, Beech Brook’s staff served 20,000 children and families. From prevention and early intervention programs to intensive treatment for the most seriously disturbed youth, Beech Brook helps to heal troubled children and strengthen families through these and other services.”
The facility’s website says its mission is to “bring hope to children’s lives.” The organization lists many services it provides on its website: They include foster care and adoption; family preservation; outpatient counseling; school-based mental health services; community-based services for at-risk youth, parent support and education, and prevention and early intervention services.
4. Stephens’ Girlfriend Also Works in Behavioral Health
Joy Lane and Steve Stephens. (Facebook)
In the video, Stephens repeatedly disparages his girlfriend Joy Lane, asks the victim to repeat her name, and then says he is shooting the man because he’s angry at Lane.
Lane is in protective custody for her own safety while Stephens is at large, according to Cleveland.com.
According to her LinkedIn page, Lane has worked for the past nine months as a clinical supervisor for Murtis Taylor Human Services System. The site says she provides “guidance and leadership to a community based team of Therapists and CPST workers.”
Lane also worked for 11 years as a case manager and therapist at Beech Brook, which also employed Stephens, according to her LinkedIn page. Her LinkedIn page says she earned a master of science degree from Case Western Reserve University in Social Administration/Non-Profit Management and received her bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University in sociology and criminal justice.
Lane’s LinkedIn page says she is on the adjunct faculty of Cleveland State University, where she has worked since 2014. She provides “educational instruction to the School of Social Work Students” and oversees “field placements at community based organizations,” the page says.
Read more about Lane here:
5. Stephens Attended a Business School & a Former Classmate Expressed Shock at His Actions
Steve Stephens, aka “Stevie Steve.” (Twitter)
Dawn Arrington graduated from a business school named Myers College with Stephens. She told Cleveland.com that she was shocked to learn he was the man sought by police and described herself as “heartbroken.”
“I’m texting and Facebook messaging people that I went to school with — the reaction is a collective ‘I can’t believe that’,” Arrington said to Cleveland.com. “I’m completely shocked. I’m heartbroken.”
There were no warning signs back then, based on what she told the newspaper. Arrington said to Cleveland.com that Stephens in college was a “funny guy, always laughing and joking. It was all jokes and fun. He was a different kind of guy.”
You can watch the Facebook Live video of the murder here. Again be aware that it is very disturbing:
Stephens also discussed his motivations in other Facebook videos. You can watch those here:
Read more about Steve Stephens in Spanish at AhoraMismo.com:
