Prosecutors say evidence links 18-year-old Caedan Hotchkiss to Rodney Gray’s home, stolen Mercedes and a police pursuit.
CINCINNATI, Ohio — A Hamilton County judge set bond at $1.275 million for an 18-year-old charged with murder after prosecutors described evidence they say connects him to the killing of a 66-year-old Springfield Township man, the victim’s home and a vehicle taken from the property.
Caedan Hotchkiss of Cincinnati appeared in Hamilton County Municipal Court on Oct. 29, two days after Rodney Gray was found dead inside his South Meadow Circle home. Hotchkiss pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, felonious assault, theft and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer. Judge Donte Johnson set the combined bond as the case moves toward a scheduled Nov. 6 grand jury proceeding.
Springfield Township police began investigating after officers responded to an intrusion alarm at Gray’s home late Oct. 27. Officers found Gray dead inside the residence. Police identified Hotchkiss as a suspect during the investigation and arrested him after authorities said he was driving Gray’s 2023 Mercedes and failed to stop for officers. Court records allege the encounter led to a high-speed pursuit before Hotchkiss was taken into custody.
At Hotchkiss’ first court appearance, prosecutors offered additional details about what they believe happened inside the house. Court documents allege Hotchkiss used a fire poker and a kitchen knife in the attack before taking Gray’s vehicle. The allegations have not been proven in court, and authorities have not publicly established a motive for Gray’s death.
Prosecutors also said investigators found no evidence of forced entry at the home. They told the court that Hotchkiss’ cellphone was found plugged into a charger in the same room where Gray was found. Authorities have not publicly explained the nature of the relationship, if any, between Hotchkiss and Gray. Prosecutors suggested the circumstances indicated Hotchkiss may have been allowed inside rather than entering by force.
Springfield Township Police Chief Christopher Niehaus said earlier in the investigation that authorities did not believe the killing was a random criminal act posing an ongoing threat to the community. Police have not released a detailed account of what investigators believe occurred before Gray died. The department has continued to characterize the case as an active homicide investigation.
Hotchkiss’ defense attorney, Jamila Batchelor, told the court that Hotchkiss believed at first that he had been arrested because of the vehicle and police pursuit. She said he was shocked when he learned he faced a murder charge. Batchelor also told the court that her client had been in foster care since he was 8, had recently been living in an apartment with support from Lighthouse Youth and Family Services and did not have the resources to post a substantial bond.
Prosecutors raised Hotchkiss’ juvenile court history while arguing about detention. Records reviewed by local news organizations show previous juvenile cases involving burglary and aggravated arson, among other offenses. Because juvenile proceedings are separate from the adult charges now pending, those earlier cases do not establish guilt in the murder prosecution. Hotchkiss is entitled to the presumption of innocence on the current charges unless he is convicted.
The case began when the intrusion alarm brought police to the Springfield Township residence. Accounts from police and local reports have varied slightly in how they describe the precise street block, but authorities consistently identified the scene as a home on South Meadow Circle. Gray, a Springfield Township resident, was 66. Investigators have not released a complete timeline showing when Hotchkiss allegedly arrived at the home, when Gray died or when the Mercedes was taken.
Hotchkiss remains in the Hamilton County Justice Center following the bond ruling. His case is scheduled for a Nov. 6 grand jury proceeding, the next publicly reported step in the prosecution. The grand jury will consider whether the evidence supports felony charges proceeding in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.