A tragic family argument in Florida turned deadly when a 19-year-old man was charged with manslaughter after a fight with his father led to his death.
According to an arrest report, Julien Welch-Beddoe got into a heated argument with his father, 45-year-old Francis Welch, on the night of January 19 at their home in Melbourne. The fight started over something as simple as a plate of food. Welch, the father, reportedly told his son that he didn’t deserve to eat because he wasn’t working. Ignoring his father’s words, Welch-Beddoe made himself dinner anyway. But as he was taking the food to his room, his father pushed him.
What started as a small argument quickly turned physical. Welch-Beddoe told police that he put his father in a headlock and punched him two or three times in the ribs. He then reportedly placed his father in a chokehold on the floor. Welch’s fiancée tried to break up the fight, and eventually, the two were separated. Welch-Beddoe went back to his bedroom, thinking the fight was over.
But minutes later, he heard Welch’s fiancée scream, “This isn’t a joke!” Rushing back to the living room, Welch-Beddoe found his father lying there, unresponsive. According to the affidavit, Welch was breathing through his mouth and had turned pale and yellowish. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, they called for medical help.
Welch was rushed to Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital, but despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on January 20.
An autopsy later revealed that Welch had suffered a severe internal injury—a laceration on his spleen caused by one of his three broken ribs. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Following his father’s death, Welch-Beddoe stopped talking to investigators and asked for a lawyer. On February 5, he was arrested and charged with manslaughter. He is currently being held at the Brevard County Jail with a bond set at $50,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 25.
This heartbreaking case serves as a stark reminder of how quickly things can escalate, turning an argument into a tragedy.
