For Leonard Houda, a seemingly regular trip to the supermarket ended in his death in the parking lot. Authorities then began looking for the motivation behind such a targeted attack, leading them to a sinister murder-for-hire plot. Survey Discovery’A Time to Kill: A Chemical Solution’ focuses on the escalating feud between Leonard and another man that ultimately led to the former’s death. So if you’re curious for more, we’ve got you covered.
How did Leonard Houda die?
Leonard Rudolph “Rudi” Houda was born in Chicago, Illinois, in September 1936. At the time of the incident, the 63-year-old was a retired Air Force captain and manager of Souter’s Resort in Lauderdale-by- the-Sea. , Florida. Leonard was described as a friendly man who cared; he and his dog were regulars in the area. At approximately 3:22 p.m. on July 9, 2000, Leonard’s trip to a local supermarket turned deadly within minutes.
A witness reported seeing a man approach Leonard as he was loading groceries into his car. The suspect called out Leonard’s name and threw sulfuric acid at him. It left the 63-year-old badly burned as he walked back to the supermarket screaming. Passers-by called 911 while others tried to help. While Leonard was rushed to hospital, he died approximately 11 days later from severe burns, multiple organ failure and sepsis.
Who killed Leonard Houda?
Authorities learned that Leonard Houda had an ongoing feud with Walter Dendy, the president of the Edgemar Condominium Association, across the street. At the center of it all was a 10-foot property that Souter’s Resort and the condo folks shared. However, Leonard began to believe that the condos were being rented out by “undesirable people” and no longer wanted to share ownership. This led to a lot of animosity between Leonard and Walter.
When Walter was first questioned, he claimed to have nothing to do with the attack. With no evidence pointing to him and a lack of criminal history, authorities looked elsewhere. A tip led them to John Coburn Alexander, who owned a white van that matched the description of the getaway vehicle. According to the show, Alexander admitted to loaning it to a friend who was later identified as Emilio Charafardin. The latter had a criminal history and was eventually found in California.
Once Emilio, then in his late 40s, was detained, he went into detail about what happened. He worked as Walter’s maintenance man at the time. Walter had come to see him about a plan to “take care of” Leonard. They plotted to use acid to blind Leonard, but the attack went awry, leaving him dead. According to Emilio, he hired Neal Bross, a house painter, to dump the acid while he served as the getaway driver.
A chemical company employee had identified Walter as the man who purchased 19 gallons of sulfuric acid days before the murder. According to the show, Emilio was also present during the sale. Other witnesses said Walter hired people to damage station property by vandalizing it. In the end, Emilio’s confession was crucial in connecting the dots and holding Walter accountable.
Where are Walter Dendy, Emilio Charafardin and Neal Bross now?
Walter Dendy, then 67, was eventually convicted of second degree murder. In May 2003, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Emilio Charafardin was also convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison in March 2003. As for Neal Bross, he was convicted of third degree murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He claimed not to know the acid was that strong and said he was only hired to hurt Leonard, not kill him. Later, Walter and Neal’s convictions were overturned due to a legal issue. However, they were found guilty on the same charges and later sentenced in 2005.
Jail records indicate that Walter is still incarcerated at Dade Correctional Facility in Homestead, Florida. From what we can tell, it appears Emilio died while serving his sentence. Although the cause of death is not available, he died on August 4, 2020 and was approximately 56 years old at the time. Finally, Neal was released from prison in November 2013. Although his last known location remains Florida, not much else is known about what he is currently doing.
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