Teen Bludgeons 15-Year-Old Boy To Death After Paying Him $2,700 To Hide Their Secret Affair

A teenager has been found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old boy with whom he was having an affair. Before killing him, the accused paid the boy $2,700 to keep their relationship a secret.

A court in the U.K. heard that 19-year-old Matthew Mason and 15-year-old Alex Rodda were in an intimate relationship. Mason wanted to keep the relationship a secret. But Rodda informed Mason's girlfriend that the latter had sent him an explicit video. Following this, Mason paid Rodda $2,700 to remain silent.

On the evening of Dec.12, 2019, Mason picked up Rodda from his residence and drove him to a secluded area. The two had a heated argument there and Rodda threatened to ruin his friend's life. He then took a wrench and hit Mason with it. The 19-year-old managed to get the wrench from the teen and hit him at least 15 times in the head with it. Mason then fled the scene and went to a pub to party with his other friends. Rodda's body was found the following morning.

"Mason had murder on his mind as he drove Alex to his death under the pretense of sexual activity. He chose a secluded place to kill him in cold blood, a place he believed he would go unseen and his crime undetected," police officer Nigel Reid said, BBC reported.

On Thursday, Mason pleaded guilty to the crime. He will be sentenced on Jan. 25.

Following the verdict, Rodda's family told local media, "Our son Alex was a wonderful, gentle, loving, kind, caring, respectful boy who loved life and lived life to the full. His precious life was cut short all too soon at the hands of Matthew Mason."

"Mason admitted killing Alex from the outset of this trial but still felt the need to put us through the trauma of this trial in an attempt to minimize his sentence. He never once considered the pain it would put our family through or indeed his own family. We have never come across a more selfish, cold and calculating person," they said.

The family appreciated the jury for "coming to the right decision" and also thanked the police for "their hard work."