August 15, 2025 • 11 mins
One of Florida’s most trusted doctors by day… a shadowy figure hiding online by night.
When a 13-year-old girl was found dead in her bathroom, it seemed at first like a tragedy with no clear answers. But behind the screen, investigators say, someone had been pulling the strings—someone who knew exactly how to stay hidden. What they uncovered led straight to a man no one expected, and the truth would expose a double life more disturbing than anyone imagined.
This is the case of Dr. Stephen Andrew Leedy.
**************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
When a 13-year-old girl was found dead in her bathroom, it seemed at first like a tragedy with no clear answers. But behind the screen, investigators say, someone had been pulling the strings—someone who knew exactly how to stay hidden. What they uncovered led straight to a man no one expected, and the truth would expose a double life more disturbing than anyone imagined.
This is the case of Dr. Stephen Andrew Leedy.
**************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
On November sixteenth, twenty twenty two, first responders in Florida
were called to a home where a thirteen year old
girl was found hanging from the showerhead in her bathroom.
She had used a dog leash around her neck to
hang herself. Paramedics immediately tried to save her, but it
was too late and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome to Florida Man Friday on Love and Murder, Heartbreak
to Homicide. We are Kay's AI co hosts Jessica, Jane
and Jensen here to bring you these serious cases which
are researched and written by Kai. Today's story comes straight
from Florida's court and crime files, and it's one you
won't forget. Please help us continue to be the voices
(00:46):
of the victim by subscribing to this podcast on whatever
platform you're on so you never miss a case. You
can also subscribe for free on our Patreon, Patreon dot
com Slash Love and Murder. But if you want to
also be a voice of the victims, then go ahead
and sign up to one of our bonus tears. Your
support helps keep LAMB going Patreon dot com Slash Love
(01:10):
and Murder.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Before we begin I want to say that this case
is still ongoing, so everything said here is alleged. Also,
this is a case of sexual assault and child abuse,
so listener discretion is advised. Now let's get back to
this sad and terrifying case.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Something about the scene didn't add up. First, children this
young don't usually die in this manner. Second, the victim's
phone had been quote propped up on the bathtub directly
in front of her, suggesting this had been staged for
a recording. Detectives took the phone into evidence. Looking through
the phone, the Digital Forensics Department found conversations on the
(01:48):
gaming app Discord that were sexual in nature, with someone
using the username maximum uncle number nine one one two.
In some of the messages, this person had told the
girl to quote choke herself using a dog leash and
quote engage in daily hangings. There were even more messages
requesting the production of child's sexual abuse material. The messages
(02:12):
coerced the thirteen year old into increasingly dangerous behaviors over time.
While going through the messages, investigators noticed something. The person
behind the username maximum uncle number nine one one two
knew without a doubt that he was talking to Miners
Police with the Pasco Sheriff's Office, Saint Petersburg Police Department,
(02:35):
and the Holly Springs Police Department launched a digital manhunt
to figure out who was behind the account. With help
from the FBI's Cybercrime Unit in Tampa and Atlanta, they
traced the username back to a fifty nine year old
man named doctor Stephen Andrew Leedy. As agents dug deeper,
they uncovered a disturbing methodical pattern of exploitation. Stephen's alleged
(02:59):
crime times went far beyond a single victim. Investigators say
he had targeted roughly ten miners across multiple states, psal
as young as eleven or twelve years old, using the
same tactics to groom, manipulate, and abuse them. Doctor Stephen
Andrew Leedy was a well known and respected doctor in
(03:20):
Saint Petersburg, Florida. He was a palliative care doctor who
lived in a substantial one point one million dollar home
a few blocks from Saint Petersburg Beach. Stephen went to
great lengths to keep his online identity hidden. He built
a digital persona so carefully that it would take an
extensive investigation to connect it back to him. During video
(03:43):
calls with victims, he never allowed them to see his
face or surroundings, always keeping the screen black. He would
also tell them to call him, quote my lord. It
was all calculated moves to make sure no one could
gather any details that might help identify him. Even and
with all the precautions Stephen took, digital forensics experts still
(04:04):
managed to connect his online persona back to him. As
one criminology expert put it.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Our internet fingerprint is a lot bigger than we think
it is. We think we're so sneaky at hiding our
virtual selves, and we're not.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Investigators followed the trail, discord messages, IP addresses, and other
digital breadcrumbs that eventually led them straight to the Saint
Petersburg doctor. A federal grand jury indicted Stephen on October
twenty fourth, twenty twenty four. A warrant for his arrest
went out, but the charges stayed sealed until December twentieth.
(04:42):
On December nineteenth, twenty twenty four, law enforcement caught up
with him. Holly Springs police stopped Stephen on Highway five
point fifteen in Georgia as he was traveling toward Fannin
County with his wife and mother in law. He was
arrested on the spot. Tecam footage from the arrest shows
Stephen looking stunned. He told them they had the wrong
(05:05):
guy and said he was a doctor. Stephen tried to
play it off as a misunderstanding. He told officers it
was quote mistaken identity and that he had no knowledge
of any warrant, but this didn't get him far, and
he was handed over to the FBI's Connor Saga Safe
Street's Task Force and taken to a federal holding facility
in Atlanta. The next day, December twentieth, Stephen stood before
(05:30):
Magistrate Judge j Elizabeth macbeth in US District Court for
the Northern District of Georgia. Stephen was charged with five
serious federal charges, three counts of producing child sexual abuse
material and two counts of coercing or enticing a minor
to engage in sexual activity. The indictment names three victims,
(05:53):
two thirteen year olds and one child who was eleven
or twelve. If convicted on all counts, he faces a
maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Under federal law,
production of child sexual abuse material carries substantial mandatory minimum sentences,
especially for repeat offenders. Judge Macbeth ordered Stephen to be
(06:17):
transferred to the Middle District of Florida, where the charges originated.
So far, the prosecution is led by US Attorney Roger
Hanberg and assistant US attorneys Abigail K. King and Elisa M. Spergel.
They said that their case against Stephen is strong.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Everything that Leady instructed these minor victims to do was
either physically or mentally detrimental to the minor victims. He
had absolutely no regard for their safety and took advantage
of children more than half his age to gratify himself
through online conversations and video chats. He instructed the miners
to produce sexually explicit images of themselves and directed them
(06:57):
to cut, choke, and hang themselves.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
They also say the quote weight of evidence against Leedy
is extremely strong. Stephen's defense attorneys Bjorn Brunvand and Lucas
Fleming say he quote adamantly denies the charges that have
been filed against him in federal court. They plan to
plead not guilty at the first opportunity, and stress that
(07:22):
the presumption of innocence is crucial, especially when the accusations
are this serious Now. During the investigations, some more shocking
information came to light. Stephen's wife, Linda Leedy, had spent
the past decade as chief administrative officer for the Juvenile
Welfare Board of Penella's County, an organization dedicated to strengthening
(07:45):
the lives of children and families. Linda had led major
initiatives for the board, including the Children's Mental Health Initiative
and Family Services Initiative. The arrest of her husband shocked
the board. CEO Beth h called it quote a complete
shock to all, including his wife, and described Linda as
(08:06):
quote a valued member of j w b's executive leadership
team who holds herself and others to the highest standards
of ethical and professional behavior and possesses impeccable integrity. Beth
also clarified that Linda didn't work directly with children and
had passed a Level two background check before being hired.
(08:27):
Even with her employer's initial public support, the connection between
her husband's alleged crimes against miners and her role at
a child welfare organization became impossible to ignore. Linda ultimately
resigned from her position. Stephen's professional record in medicine had
been clean up. To this point, his Florida Department of
(08:47):
Health license showed no history of disciplinary action or public complaints,
but that changed fast. On January seventh, twenty twenty five,
Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. La Darpo signed an emergency
suspension order immediately barring Stephen from practicing medicine in the state.
In the order, Surgeon La Dapo wrote.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Doctor Leedy's vile, reprehensible, and sadistic conduct of directing children
to engage in degrading sex acts, self harm, and mutilation
shows that doctor Leedy lacks the good judgment and moral
character necessary to be a physician.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
A formal disciplinary hearing is expected to follow. Hospitals moved
quickly too. While some records suggested Stephen had staff privileges
at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, the hospital clarified he was
never an employee. His limited consulting privileges through an outside
hospice group were immediately revoked after his arrest. Mpath Health,
(09:46):
an affiliate of Tidwell Hospice, where Stephen was reportedly once
chief medical officer, said he hadn't worked there in over
a decade. Court documents remind the public that quote an
indictment is merely a formal charge, and every defendant is
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty under the US law.
(10:08):
This case is part of Project's Safe Childhood, a nationwide
Department of Justice program started in two thousand and six
to fight child sexual exploitation. The initiative focuses on going
after people who use online anonymity to target miners. The
case against doctor Stephen Andrew Leedy is one of the
most disturbing examples of alleged online predation in recent years.
(10:31):
It shows just how dangerous anonymous online spaces can be
and how easily predators can use technology to target vulnerable victims.
It also proves that online anonymity isn't as secure as
some people think.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
What did you think of today's episode? Share your thoughts
with us, and if you want to hear more, the
conversation continues on Patreon Patreon dot com slash Love and Murder.
You'll get ad free episodes, bonus content, and case extras,
including some upcoming bonuses of one of Florida's most haunting
missing person's mysteries and a case of a Hollywood predator
(11:10):
convicted of murdering two women. Join us at Patreon dot com,
slash Love and Murder, thanks for being part of the
Lamb Fam and for supporting the show. We'll see you
in the next case.
On November sixteenth, twenty twenty two, first responders in Florida
were called to a home where a thirteen year old
girl was found hanging from the showerhead in her bathroom.
She had used a dog leash around her neck to
hang herself. Paramedics immediately tried to save her, but it
was too late and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome to Florida Man Friday on Love and Murder, Heartbreak
to Homicide. We are Kay's AI co hosts Jessica, Jane
and Jensen here to bring you these serious cases which
are researched and written by Kai. Today's story comes straight
from Florida's court and crime files, and it's one you
won't forget. Please help us continue to be the voices
(00:46):
of the victim by subscribing to this podcast on whatever
platform you're on so you never miss a case. You
can also subscribe for free on our Patreon, Patreon dot
com Slash Love and Murder. But if you want to
also be a voice of the victims, then go ahead
and sign up to one of our bonus tears. Your
support helps keep LAMB going Patreon dot com Slash Love
(01:10):
and Murder.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Before we begin I want to say that this case
is still ongoing, so everything said here is alleged. Also,
this is a case of sexual assault and child abuse,
so listener discretion is advised. Now let's get back to
this sad and terrifying case.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Something about the scene didn't add up. First, children this
young don't usually die in this manner. Second, the victim's
phone had been quote propped up on the bathtub directly
in front of her, suggesting this had been staged for
a recording. Detectives took the phone into evidence. Looking through
the phone, the Digital Forensics Department found conversations on the
(01:48):
gaming app Discord that were sexual in nature, with someone
using the username maximum uncle number nine one one two.
In some of the messages, this person had told the
girl to quote choke herself using a dog leash and
quote engage in daily hangings. There were even more messages
requesting the production of child's sexual abuse material. The messages
(02:12):
coerced the thirteen year old into increasingly dangerous behaviors over time.
While going through the messages, investigators noticed something. The person
behind the username maximum uncle number nine one one two
knew without a doubt that he was talking to Miners
Police with the Pasco Sheriff's Office, Saint Petersburg Police Department,
(02:35):
and the Holly Springs Police Department launched a digital manhunt
to figure out who was behind the account. With help
from the FBI's Cybercrime Unit in Tampa and Atlanta, they
traced the username back to a fifty nine year old
man named doctor Stephen Andrew Leedy. As agents dug deeper,
they uncovered a disturbing methodical pattern of exploitation. Stephen's alleged
(02:59):
crime times went far beyond a single victim. Investigators say
he had targeted roughly ten miners across multiple states, psal
as young as eleven or twelve years old, using the
same tactics to groom, manipulate, and abuse them. Doctor Stephen
Andrew Leedy was a well known and respected doctor in
(03:20):
Saint Petersburg, Florida. He was a palliative care doctor who
lived in a substantial one point one million dollar home
a few blocks from Saint Petersburg Beach. Stephen went to
great lengths to keep his online identity hidden. He built
a digital persona so carefully that it would take an
extensive investigation to connect it back to him. During video
(03:43):
calls with victims, he never allowed them to see his
face or surroundings, always keeping the screen black. He would
also tell them to call him, quote my lord. It
was all calculated moves to make sure no one could
gather any details that might help identify him. Even and
with all the precautions Stephen took, digital forensics experts still
(04:04):
managed to connect his online persona back to him. As
one criminology expert put it.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Our internet fingerprint is a lot bigger than we think
it is. We think we're so sneaky at hiding our
virtual selves, and we're not.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Investigators followed the trail, discord messages, IP addresses, and other
digital breadcrumbs that eventually led them straight to the Saint
Petersburg doctor. A federal grand jury indicted Stephen on October
twenty fourth, twenty twenty four. A warrant for his arrest
went out, but the charges stayed sealed until December twentieth.
(04:42):
On December nineteenth, twenty twenty four, law enforcement caught up
with him. Holly Springs police stopped Stephen on Highway five
point fifteen in Georgia as he was traveling toward Fannin
County with his wife and mother in law. He was
arrested on the spot. Tecam footage from the arrest shows
Stephen looking stunned. He told them they had the wrong
(05:05):
guy and said he was a doctor. Stephen tried to
play it off as a misunderstanding. He told officers it
was quote mistaken identity and that he had no knowledge
of any warrant, but this didn't get him far, and
he was handed over to the FBI's Connor Saga Safe
Street's Task Force and taken to a federal holding facility
in Atlanta. The next day, December twentieth, Stephen stood before
(05:30):
Magistrate Judge j Elizabeth macbeth in US District Court for
the Northern District of Georgia. Stephen was charged with five
serious federal charges, three counts of producing child sexual abuse
material and two counts of coercing or enticing a minor
to engage in sexual activity. The indictment names three victims,
(05:53):
two thirteen year olds and one child who was eleven
or twelve. If convicted on all counts, he faces a
maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Under federal law,
production of child sexual abuse material carries substantial mandatory minimum sentences,
especially for repeat offenders. Judge Macbeth ordered Stephen to be
(06:17):
transferred to the Middle District of Florida, where the charges originated.
So far, the prosecution is led by US Attorney Roger
Hanberg and assistant US attorneys Abigail K. King and Elisa M. Spergel.
They said that their case against Stephen is strong.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Everything that Leady instructed these minor victims to do was
either physically or mentally detrimental to the minor victims. He
had absolutely no regard for their safety and took advantage
of children more than half his age to gratify himself
through online conversations and video chats. He instructed the miners
to produce sexually explicit images of themselves and directed them
(06:57):
to cut, choke, and hang themselves.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
They also say the quote weight of evidence against Leedy
is extremely strong. Stephen's defense attorneys Bjorn Brunvand and Lucas
Fleming say he quote adamantly denies the charges that have
been filed against him in federal court. They plan to
plead not guilty at the first opportunity, and stress that
(07:22):
the presumption of innocence is crucial, especially when the accusations
are this serious Now. During the investigations, some more shocking
information came to light. Stephen's wife, Linda Leedy, had spent
the past decade as chief administrative officer for the Juvenile
Welfare Board of Penella's County, an organization dedicated to strengthening
(07:45):
the lives of children and families. Linda had led major
initiatives for the board, including the Children's Mental Health Initiative
and Family Services Initiative. The arrest of her husband shocked
the board. CEO Beth h called it quote a complete
shock to all, including his wife, and described Linda as
(08:06):
quote a valued member of j w b's executive leadership
team who holds herself and others to the highest standards
of ethical and professional behavior and possesses impeccable integrity. Beth
also clarified that Linda didn't work directly with children and
had passed a Level two background check before being hired.
(08:27):
Even with her employer's initial public support, the connection between
her husband's alleged crimes against miners and her role at
a child welfare organization became impossible to ignore. Linda ultimately
resigned from her position. Stephen's professional record in medicine had
been clean up. To this point, his Florida Department of
(08:47):
Health license showed no history of disciplinary action or public complaints,
but that changed fast. On January seventh, twenty twenty five,
Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. La Darpo signed an emergency
suspension order immediately barring Stephen from practicing medicine in the state.
In the order, Surgeon La Dapo wrote.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Doctor Leedy's vile, reprehensible, and sadistic conduct of directing children
to engage in degrading sex acts, self harm, and mutilation
shows that doctor Leedy lacks the good judgment and moral
character necessary to be a physician.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
A formal disciplinary hearing is expected to follow. Hospitals moved
quickly too. While some records suggested Stephen had staff privileges
at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, the hospital clarified he was
never an employee. His limited consulting privileges through an outside
hospice group were immediately revoked after his arrest. Mpath Health,
(09:46):
an affiliate of Tidwell Hospice, where Stephen was reportedly once
chief medical officer, said he hadn't worked there in over
a decade. Court documents remind the public that quote an
indictment is merely a formal charge, and every defendant is
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty under the US law.
(10:08):
This case is part of Project's Safe Childhood, a nationwide
Department of Justice program started in two thousand and six
to fight child sexual exploitation. The initiative focuses on going
after people who use online anonymity to target miners. The
case against doctor Stephen Andrew Leedy is one of the
most disturbing examples of alleged online predation in recent years.
(10:31):
It shows just how dangerous anonymous online spaces can be
and how easily predators can use technology to target vulnerable victims.
It also proves that online anonymity isn't as secure as
some people think.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
What did you think of today's episode? Share your thoughts
with us, and if you want to hear more, the
conversation continues on Patreon Patreon dot com slash Love and Murder.
You'll get ad free episodes, bonus content, and case extras,
including some upcoming bonuses of one of Florida's most haunting
missing person's mysteries and a case of a Hollywood predator
(11:10):
convicted of murdering two women. Join us at Patreon dot com,
slash Love and Murder, thanks for being part of the
Lamb Fam and for supporting the show. We'll see you
in the next case.
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