Records show Caedan Hotchkiss moved through foster care, probation and youth programs before entering the adult court system at 18.
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The 18-year-old accused of killing a Springfield Township man had spent years in foster care and the juvenile justice system, according to court records that provide new context as he faces his first major prosecution in adult court.
Caedan Hotchkiss of Cincinnati is charged with murder, felonious assault, theft and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer in the death of 66-year-old Rodney Gray. Gray was found dead inside his South Meadow Circle home late Oct. 27 after Springfield Township police responded to an intrusion alarm. Hotchkiss pleaded not guilty during an Oct. 29 court appearance, where a judge set his combined bond at $1.275 million.
The adult criminal case is separate from Hotchkiss’ juvenile history, and his earlier adjudications do not establish that he committed the offenses now alleged. But records reviewed by local news organizations show that Hotchkiss had been involved with juvenile courts, child welfare agencies and residential programs for years before his arrest in Gray’s death. His attorney said in court that he entered foster care at age 8.
Records show Hotchkiss’ juvenile cases date back to at least 2021. Later cases included aggravated arson and burglary charges. In September 2024, a Hamilton County Juvenile Court magistrate ordered him committed to the Ohio Department of Youth Services but suspended that commitment, placing him on probation while arrangements were made for a residential treatment program in Florida. A juvenile court judge approved the order.
Hotchkiss later returned to the Cincinnati area. Records cited by FOX19 show that he faced another juvenile case in 2025 involving a stolen vehicle, with the charge ultimately handled as unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Cincinnati police also issued a runaway notice for Hotchkiss in August 2025, when he was 17, after authorities said he left his North Fairmount placement and refused to return.
By the time of his adult arrest this week, court records listed an address associated with Lighthouse Youth and Family Services, a Cincinnati nonprofit that provides services to children, young adults and families. Hotchkiss’ attorney, Jamila Batchelor, told the court that he had recently been living in his own apartment with assistance from Lighthouse. Reporting on the records indicates the organization’s location should not be characterized as a juvenile jail or detention center.
The current case began Tuesday night when Springfield Township officers were sent to Gray’s residence because of an intrusion alarm. Police found Gray dead inside. Authorities later arrested Hotchkiss after investigators said he was driving Gray’s 2023 Mercedes and refused to stop for police, leading officers on a pursuit. Prosecutors allege the vehicle had been taken from Gray.
At Hotchkiss’ first adult court appearance, prosecutors alleged that he attacked Gray with a fire poker and kitchen knife. They also said investigators found Hotchkiss’ cellphone plugged into a charger in the room where Gray was discovered and found no apparent evidence of forced entry. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive or described what relationship, if any, existed between the two men.
Springfield Township Police Chief Christopher Niehaus has said investigators do not believe the homicide was a random criminal act creating an ongoing danger to the public. Police have not released a full chronology of the events inside Gray’s home, and the allegations outlined by prosecutors remain subject to the court process.
During the bond hearing, Batchelor said Hotchkiss initially believed his arrest was connected to the vehicle and police pursuit and was shocked when he learned he had been charged with murder. Prosecutors cited his earlier juvenile record while arguing about the risk he posed and his history of complying with court supervision. The judge ultimately set bond totaling $1.275 million.
The available juvenile records trace a long period of court supervision, foster care and residential placements, but they do not explain why Gray was killed or establish that Hotchkiss committed the homicide. Those questions now belong to the adult criminal case, where prosecutors will have to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt if the case goes to trial.
Hotchkiss remains jailed as the investigation continues. His next publicly reported milestone is a Nov. 6 grand jury proceeding, when prosecutors are expected to present the case for consideration of felony charges in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.