`Vampire' leader murder plea

Thursday 05 February 1998 19:02 EST

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The 17-year-old leader of a vampire cult pleaded guilty yesterday to killing the parents of one of his cult members.

Just minutes into prosecutor Brad King's opening statement to jurors, Rod Ferrell's lawyer, William Lackay, said his client wanted to change his plea.

Mr Ferrell, who could face the death penalty, also pleaded guilty to armed burglary and robbery charges.

The teenager had pleaded innocent to two counts of first-degree murder for bludgeoning to death Richard Wendorf and Naoma Ruth Queen in November 1996, in their home in Eustis, Florida.

Mr Ferrell purportedly cut himself and sucked his cult members' blood. Court papers said that cult members would take drugs and have group sex.

- AP, Florida

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