Steve Stephens’ Past Revealed: Financial Problems Before Killing Self In Police Pursuit


The world is still in shock after Steve Stephens posted a video on Facebook that showed him shooting an elderly man, 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr., for no reason. He also shared that Joy Lane, his ex-girlfriend, was the reason he committed the crime. Why Steve killed the man is still a mystery, but Fox News is now sharing some of the things from Steve Stephens’ past that could help explain why he was so unhappy. Everyone, including family and friends, seemed shocked by Steve Stephens’ actions.

It turns out that before shooting an elderly man and killing him, Steve Stephens faced multiple evictions in Ohio. Additionally, he had previously declared bankruptcy. It turns out that he had a lot of financial problems over the years. Stephens was recently evicted from an apartment in Euclid and had another eviction at a different apartment in Warrensville Heights five months before that.

The Warrensville Heights complex sued Steve Stephens over money that he owed, which amounted to approximately $1,800. He lost, and they began taking money out of his checks. That started last month, which, of course, caused a few financial issues for him. Stephens also said that he had a lot of debt. He revealed that he had $35,000 in debts, including $21,000 owed on a loan for a 2007 Dodge Charger and more than $5,300 in student loans. These financial troubles could have lead to part of the issues. Steve was obviously distraught when he shot the elderly man on Facebook.

When this happened, Steve Stephens said he only had about $350 in his bank account, plus another $1,500 in possessions, adding that he was going through some financial problems. In a Facebook post, he shared that he had lost everything due to gambling. He also told everyone to tell him why he shouldn’t be on death row.

There was a $50,000 reward put out in hopes that someone could help them find Steven Stephens. However, authorities located him before anyone could collect this reward.

On Tuesday, ABC News shared that they are no longer on the lookout for Steve Stephens; he was located earlier today.

Their update explained in part, “Cleveland Facebook murder suspect Steve Stephens shot and killed himself after a brief pursuit in Erie, PA, police say.”

This news just came out, and a lot of information has not been revealed about what occurred or if everyone else at the scene is fine. Steve Stephens had claimed that he killed several people, but so far, only one murder has been confirmed.

The Inquisitr shared a few details about Joy Lane, the woman he claimed was the reason he committed the murder in the first place. She was his ex-girlfriend, and she didn’t have any contact with Steve after what went down.

She eventually released a statement that said, “We had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened. My heart & prayers goes out to the family members of the victim(s). Steve really is a nice guy… he is generous with everyone he knows. He was kind and loving to me and my children. This is a very difficult time for me and my family Please respect our privacy at this time.”

After that, Joy remained quiet, deleted her social media profiles, and didn’t speak to the press.

Are you shocked to hear that Steve Stephens killed himself after a pursuit with police today? Do you think his financial woes lead to the murder of Robert Godwin Sr.? Sound off in the comments section below about the death of Steve Stephens.

[Featured Image by Matt Rourke/AP Images]

Share this article: Steve Stephens’ Past Revealed: Financial Problems Before Killing Self In Police Pursuit
More from Inquisitr