45 Facts About Ricky Rodriguez

Berg believed Ricky Rodriguez was called upon to become a prophet during biblical End Times.

Ricky Rodriguez left his wife in Tacoma, Washington, and traveled across the US in an attempt to find Zerby.

The next day, Ricky Rodriguez invited Smith to his apartment, where he murdered her by slitting her throat and stabbing her, before driving to Blythe, California, where he died by suicide.

Richard P Rodriguez was born on January 25,1975, in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, as David Moses Zerby.

Ricky Rodriguez was unofficially adopted by David Berg, the group's founder and Zerby's husband, and was given the nickname "Davidito" and often referred to as "the prince".

Many who knew Ricky Rodriguez said he grew shy and uncomfortable around group members because his status as a supposed prophet made him prominent.

In 1996, at 21 years old, Ricky Rodriguez moved to a Family-owned home in Budapest, Hungary, where he met his girlfriend Elixcia Munumel, who returned with him to Zerby's home in Porto, Portugal, and lived with him there.

In 1999, the couple told Zerby they were going to The Family's compound in Mexico, but instead Munumel went to England and Ricky Rodriguez went to the United States.

Ricky Rodriguez stayed at the not-for-profit charity The Family Care Foundation's headquarters in Dulzura, San Diego, California.

Ricky Rodriguez sold a car Zerby had given him so Munumel could meet him in Tacoma, Washington.

Ricky Rodriguez took a job on a fishing boat in Alaska, began to take knife-based martial arts lessons, and spent time at a shooting range while trying to obtain a gun permit.

Ricky Rodriguez said he heard stories from former members and carried guilt because of his position as a future leader of The Family, which he felt contributed to the abuse of other children.

In 2002, Ricky Rodriguez made a post on the website "Moving On" accusing Berg of abusing his own daughters and granddaughter in the Philippines, and describing Zerby as apathetic and violent towards her children.

Ricky Rodriguez mentioned his teen training in most of his posts on the site.

Ricky Rodriguez said he thought about suicide since his teen training and hoped the group's leaders' evil legacy will die with The Family.

Ricky Rodriguez further told his martial arts teacher, Kevin Schmitt, he had considered murdering members of The Family in the past.

Ricky Rodriguez, according to Munumel, spent years trying to find Zerby and his half-sister, Techi, whom he wanted to take out of The Family.

Ricky Rodriguez traveled to San Diego, where he met Martin in person.

Ricky Rodriguez learned that Smith was serving on the board of The Family Care Foundation and was a member of Elderhaven, a nursing home in Tucson, Arizona, run by Ricky Rodriguez' grandparents.

Ricky Rodriguez subsequently came to Tucson and stayed with the family of his aunt, Rosemary Kanspedos, for a month.

Ricky Rodriguez received a job as an electrician, never divulging the details of his prior life to his boss or his wife.

Sometime before 2005, Ricky Rodriguez moved into an apartment on Tucson's North Side.

Ricky Rodriguez presented numerous weapons including a Glock 23 pistol, a KA-BAR knife, a drill, a soldering iron, and duct tape, some of which he planned to use for torture.

Ricky Rodriguez specifically named Zerby as his target, stating that if he did not find her before he died, he will keep hunting her in the next life or someone else will pick up the torch.

Ricky Rodriguez alluded to Smith as a person he intended to kill and predicted his upcoming actions would result in conflict with law enforcement, but insisted he intended no harm towards law enforcement.

Ricky Rodriguez encouraged him to testify in a legal case and said "things will be taken seriously".

Ricky Rodriguez sent copies of the video to Munumel, two of his family members, and Martin.

The next day, Ricky Rodriguez invited Smith to dinner in his apartment.

Ricky Rodriguez then left his apartment and drove to Blythe, California, where he arrived at midnight.

Ricky Rodriguez rented a motel room and began to call his family members in Lakewood, Washington, notifying them of a body in his apartment.

Ricky Rodriguez told Munumel he had killed Smith to avenge his sister Techi and those still in The Family rather than himself.

Ricky Rodriguez said Smith "didn't understand what she had done wrong" as she was dying.

Ricky Rodriguez called the murder "the hardest thing I ever did in my life" and said it did not make him feel better.

Munumel claims that Ricky Rodriguez pleaded with her to die by suicide with him, then said goodbye to her and hung up.

The investigating detective thought Ricky Rodriguez had simply died by suicide, but answered Munumel's call to Ricky Rodriguez' cell phone and learned of the murder from her.

Mark Fuller, who was in charge of the homicide investigation, assumed Ricky Rodriguez had killed Smith because she was responsible for his abuse; but because of scant details about her involvement in his childhood, authorities initially could not ascertain the real motive.

Carlos Valdez said Smith died shortly before her body was recovered and that Ricky Rodriguez had left for Blythe twelve hours prior.

Rick Alan Ross, a cult researcher who had interviewed numerous former members of The Family, noted that Ricky Rodriguez reflected the many suicides of those who suffered a "tremendous amount of pain" from being in "one of the most horrifically abusive and destructive cults in American history".

Ricky Rodriguez believed Rodriguez was a "time bomb" waiting to go off because he exhibited aggressive tendencies and expressed guilt for other victims' abuse.

Ricky Rodriguez said Rodriguez' suicide brought the total of suicides in his peer group to 30, but that he considered Rodriguez' abuse to be one of the worst cases from The Family.

Ricky Rodriguez believed Rodriguez killed Smith because he could not find Zerby.

Ricky Rodriguez empathized with the rage he felt, especially when he had "no closure" and "no restitution" for it.

Ricky Rodriguez said people were "exploiting this tragedy" to hurt him, Zerby, and The Family in an effort to "tear down our work for the Lord".

Ricky Rodriguez said Smith was never Rodriguez' nanny but had only visited him and that The Family gave him "ample financial and emotional support" when he wanted to become independent.

Ricky Rodriguez criticized Lattin's book for "inaccuracies, misconceptions and erroneous conclusions", and "sketchy research".