Suvechha Sarkar
In the summer of 2004, a chilling betrayal shattered the peace of DeLand, Florida, when Phillip Glenn Rodgers was brutally killed in his home. He was a devoted husband and a dutiful father, but his untimely demise left his family grappling for answers. As detectives dug deeper, it unraveled a string of deceit, forbidden relationships, and betrayal by his closest people. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Blood Relatives: Sex, Lies and Videotape’ focuses on how the investigators pieced together the truth that helped bring the killers to light. It also features interviews with his loved ones and officials closely related to the case.
Phillip Rodgers’ Life Was Cut Short Inside His Florida Home
Born on August 27, 1955, in Marion, in Williamson County, Illinois, Phillip Glenn Rodgers, lovingly known as Phil, arrived as a ray of sunshine in the lives of his parents, Charles Glenn and Betty Jean Rodgers. Growing up, he never felt any shortage of love and support from his parents and his sisters, Joy, Carol, and Lisa. His family members described him as someone well-liked in his community and known by many people. Phil worked at a delivery company and made sure food was delivered right to people’s homes. He eventually met the love of his life and tied the knot before welcoming their daughter, Jessica, into their lives. Over time, Phil and his partner parted ways, and he got a second chance at love when he met Teresa. She was previously married and had a son, Joshua Puckett, AKA Josh.
Phil and Teresa tied the knot and began living in DeLand, in Volusia County, Florida. Although he and Josh often didn’t see eye-to-eye, he bonded with his stepson over their shared love for his car, a Monte Carlo SS. Phil even promised that once they completed working on it, he would give it to Josh. The family often gathered together for holidays like Halloween, and Phil seemed to be living a fulfilling life. However, everything turned upside down on April 21, 2004. Teresa checked herself into the hospital since she was having stomach problems. However, when she called Phil and couldn’t reach him, she asked her brother, John Whidden, to go and check on him.
When John entered the home, he found the house was in disarray. In the bedroom, he made the horrific discovery of Phil lying in the bed with a lot of blood around him, prompting him to call 911. After the officials arrived at the scene, they found that the house seemed like it had been ransacked because there were furniture items toppled over. Upon entering the room, they found Phil on the bed with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Owing to the bullet trajectory, detectives reportedly deduced it was a homicide, and at the foot of the bed, they found a receipt with the serial number of a firearm. Although it was identified as Phil’s gun, they could not find the weapon. The autopsy determined his cause of death to be a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Investigation of Phillip Rodgers’ Murder Uncovered Secret Family Affairs
Investigators first questioned John, who was initially considered a suspect but later ruled out. They further learned that shortly before the murder, Phil changed his life insurance beneficiary to Jessica, which was a double indemnity policy that could amount to approximately $700,000. However, when she was questioned, she informed them about a shocking secret: Phil and his wife, Teresa, were in an open marriage. Jessica further added that the family members knew about their dynamic and that Teresa recently grew close to a man named Gary. They learned Teresa was also considering moving in with Gary. When he was brought in, he first claimed he and Teresa were just friends, but later confessed that they fell in love and wanted to be together. He admitted that although he got a divorce to be with Teresa, Phil didn’t want to separate.
Gary claimed that in one instance, Teresa allegedly mentioned that it would be good if Phil were out of the picture. Another incident came up regarding Phil’s stepson, Josh, who had decided to move out. He and his family went to dinner, but his stepdad got angry when Teresa invited Gary. That day, Phil originally prepared the Monte Carlo SS as a gift for Josh, but he refused to give it to him in front of everyone. Gary informed the officials that he overheard Josh venting to his two close friends, Justin Tucker and Curtis Rhoades, that he was furious that Phil didn’t give him the car and wanted to kill him. Gary alleged he never participated in the conversation and didn’t think much of it. Meanwhile, Teresa was at the hospital with a strong alibi and claimed that she and Josh had nothing to do with the murder.
A Firearm Receipt Sparked Confessions Leading to the Arrest of the Killers
Investigators focused on the firearm receipt and found it registered as a missing pistol under Phil’s name. It was in their system because it was tagged when Curtis had a run-in with the officials a few days prior, and the weapon was found in his car. Upon questioning, Curtis reportedly confessed that he was present when Josh and Justin were plotting the murder. He claimed that when he tried to leave, Teresa stopped him and alleged that Phil was abusive. So, she asked him to take the gun from their house, and that was how it ended up with him. He also admitted that shortly after, he returned the weapon to Teresa. His confession led to Josh’s interrogation, who admitted he was upset with Phil because he didn’t give him the vehicle as promised. He reportedly confessed that, since Curtis refused to help, he turned to Justin to carry out the murder according to Teresa’s plan.
Josh claimed that Justin was offered $20,000, and Josh was offered $30,000 along with the car to carry out the murder. Later, the detectives found out that Teresa reportedly asked Phil to take his sleeping pills, following which Josh and Justin snuck into the house. They reportedly confessed to rummaging through the house for cash and other valuables. After Josh reportedly shot Phil with his gun, they went to the woods, burned their clothes, and threw the weapon in the river. Ultimately, Josh, Justin, Curtis, and Teresa were all arrested. While Josh and Justin were charged with the murder of Phil, Teresa was additionally charged with conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder. Furthermore, Curtis was charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Teresa Remains Behind Bars While Josh, Justin, and Curtis Are Currently Out of Prison
In 2004, Josh pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, armed robbery, and solicitation of first-degree murder. He was initially sentenced to 25 years in prison, each to be served concurrently, on February 3, 2006. However, late in the same month, the judge reduced his sentence to 20 years, reportedly based on contradictory evidence presented in the court during the presentencing hearing. In 2004, Justin also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, armed robbery, and solicitation of second-degree murder. On February 3, 2006, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for each charge to be served concurrently. In late October 2005, Teresa pleaded no contest to multiple charges: second-degree murder reduced from the higher offence of first-degree murder, solicitation to commit second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, and armed robbery.
On February 2, 2006, Teresa was sentenced to 40 years in prison, each for the murder and armed robbery, and 30 years each for solicitation and conspiracy. Curtis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder. He was also sentenced in February 2006 and placed on two years of house arrest and eight years of probation for the same. Following that, he had been back to prison several times for crimes like domestic battery and carrying concealed firearms, among many others. While Josh has been out of custody since April 29, 2021, Curtis was released from prison on January 3, 2025. Similarly, Justin has served his time in prison and was recently released on July 28, 2025. As of writing, Teresa is serving her sentence at Lowell C.I. Annex in Ocala, Florida, with her current release date being April 25, 2038.
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