A 19-year-old Florida man, Julien Welch-Beddoe, has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly killing his father, 45-year-old Francis Welch, during a physical altercation over food. The incident occurred on the evening of January 19, 2025, at a residence in Melbourne, Florida, approximately 70 miles southeast of Orlando.
According to an arrest affidavit, Melbourne police responded to a call about an unresponsive man at the home. Medics arrived around 10 p.m. to find Francis Welch pale and unresponsive. Welch-Beddoe and his father’s fiancée had discovered him in distress after their argument turned violent.
Welch-Beddoe told police that the conflict began when he was preparing a plate of food. His father allegedly told him he did not deserve to eat because he was not working. Despite this, Welch-Beddoe continued making his plate and was pushed by his father as he walked toward his bedroom. In response, Welch-Beddoe placed his father in a headlock and punched him two to three times in the left rib area. The struggle resulted in both men falling to the floor before Welch’s fiancée intervened and stopped the fight.
Welch-Beddoe stated that he released his father and believed he was fine. However, approximately five minutes later, he heard Welch’s fiancée yelling, “This isn’t a joke!” When Welch-Beddoe returned to the living room, he found his father slumped back on the couch and unresponsive.
Emergency responders transported Welch to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1 a.m. on January 20. A medical examination revealed that Welch suffered three broken ribs and a lacerated spleen, which caused internal bleeding leading to his death. The Chief Medical Examiner of Brevard County determined that Welch’s injuries resulted from blunt force trauma. Hospital lab work also indicated that Welch had a blood alcohol content of .391 at the time of his death, while Welch-Beddoe was sober.
Welch-Beddoe was formally charged with manslaughter and pleaded not guilty on February 6. His bond was set at $50,000, with the condition that he has no contact with his father’s relatives. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 25.
