A convicted killer has sparked outrage after mocking the grieving mother of his victims in court, blowing her a kiss as she watched his sentencing unfold.
Brice Rhodes, from Louisville, Kentucky, was handed a life sentence with no chance of parole for the brutal murders of two teenage brothers, Larry Ordway, 14, and Maurice “Reece” Gordon, 16, the Courier Journal reports.
The killings date back to 2016, when Rhodes, then 25, murdered the two boys after they witnessed him fatally stabbing 40-year-old Christopher Jones. Rhodes was also convicted of Jones’ murder.
The boys looked up to him
Prosecutors told the court that Ordway and Gordon had looked up to Rhodes, believing he could help them launch music careers. But instead of acting as a mentor, Rhodes lured them to their deaths.
The teens’ bodies were later discovered in an abandoned property around 10 miles from their home. Both had been beaten and stabbed in a frenzied attack, per WAVE.
Smirking in court
Courtroom footage that has since gone viral shows Rhodes turning towards the boys’ mother before blowing her a kiss.
The grieving woman immediately shouted back at him before being silenced by the judge, who then reprimanded Rhodes for his behaviour.
But instead of backing down, Rhodes smirked and said: “I’m allowed to smile. I’ll do what I want to do.”
The shocking display only added to the emotional weight of the trial, with many branding him “evil” for taunting the family.
Not his first outburst
This wasn’t the only time Rhodes made headlines for disrupting proceedings. In an earlier hearing, he was forced to wear a plastic mask covering his mouth after spitting on an attorney.
His case was also delayed multiple times due to claims he was mentally unfit to stand trial, citing a history of mental health problems and a learning disability. Eventually, the court ruled he was competent and could serve a life sentence.
Co-defendants and convictions
Rhodes wasn’t alone in the killings. His co-defendants (Jacorey Taylor, Tieren Coleman, and Anjuan Carter) all pleaded guilty to their roles in the murders.
But jurors ultimately found Rhodes guilty on all counts, sparing him the death penalty but ensuring he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Public outrage
After clips from court surfaced, viewers expressed fury at Rhodes’ smirking antics. One person wrote: “Everyone is tough in court until they get in prison.”
Another said: “People are so f**king evil and sick,” while a third added: “I would have lost all composure.”
For the families of the victims, however, the outburst served as a final insult; a killer taunting those left behind.