Student Posted Message To Hire Hitman To Kill Teacher: Sheriff

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — A Fivay High School student was charged Thursday with conspiracy to commit murder, a first-degree felony, after posting a comment on Instagram soliciting someone to kill a teacher.

During a press conference Friday afternoon, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco described how an 18-year-old senior ruined his life for the sake of a joke.

Nocco said 18-year-old Nicholas Robert Godfrey's parents were shocked when deputies knocked on their door of their Harrison Street home in New Port Richey and announced they had come to arrest their teenage son.

"They're just very surprised. He's a good kid. He doesn't get in trouble," said Pasco Detective David Dacey.

The school resource officer at Fivay alerted the sheriff's office after Godfrey posted a series of comments on a Fivay Fan Club Instagram page Oct. 30 saying he wanted to pay someone $100,000 to kill a member of the Fivay High School faculty.

"I need a guy who could kill someone," read one message.

"We have $100,000 for the victim's head," said another.

"No joke, I need him eliminated as soon as possible," Godfrey wrote in a follow-up message, according to the sheriff's office.

"For the victim and his family, imagine getting the notification from the sheriff's office that we need to protect you," said Nocco.

Detectives obtained a search warrant to access the IP address of the person posting the messages. That address was registered to the Godfrey home.

Detectives said Godfrey admitted to sending the messages and handed over his cell phone, which still had copies of the messages. He told detectives it was all a joke.

"He didn't have any clear plan or direction. He was joking around, which seems to be getting a lot of students in trouble," Dacey said, adding that he didn't know if Godrey actually had $100,000.

"This individual may have thought it was funny; it was a joke," said Nocco. "It is not a joke. You post a threat, and we will come after you."

The tragedy is that a thoughtless, spur-of-the-moment action has now ruined a young man's life, said Nocco.

"It wasn't like this was a bad student. He had no record of other issues," said Nocco. "But it doesn't matter what the intent was. When you post it, you committed a crime."

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said he felt both sad and elated when he rolled out of bed Friday morning and saw the text message alerting him of the arrest.

"I was elated that we had apprehended him but saddened that this young man ruined his life," Browning said. "I have pleaded with parents to know what they're kids are doing on social media. We (the schools) are a microcosm of the communities we serve. I'm begging and pleading with parents to step up and help us keep order and civility in our schools."

The arrest comes on the heels of several recent fights on the school campus in Hudson.

Nocco said there were two fights last week, in which arrests were made, prompting the sheriff's office to send deputies and K9 units to the school to restore order.

"We sent more people than we needed to because we wanted to send message that the school is run by the administration and teachers, not by the students," said Nocco.

"The majority of kids don't want to get caught up in the riffraff of the 13 kids who were doing the wrong thing," he said. "The vast majority of kids are there to get an education.

Nocco said the sheriff's office will add another school resource officer at the high school until further notice.

Browning's frustration at the press conference was palpable.

"Frankly, I'm tired of meeting with the press to talk about the foolishness going on with our kids," he said. "There will be consequences for negative action. We will not allow people to threaten to harm or harm people in our schools. You're not gonna fight on my campuses. One fight will get you expelled and subject to arrest. We're not taking any prisoners."

Browning said he will recommend to the school board that Godfrey be expelled.

He said he believes the student's arrest along with the fighting is a symptom of a larger societal issue.

"It's the result of kids not understanding respect; kids not understanding civility," he said. "We're through with it."

Browning will hold a meeting with key school officials to discuss the trouble at Fivay High School.

"Then maybe a parent or community meeting is in order," he said.

Godrey was taken to the Land O' Lakes Detention Center where his bond was set at $10,000.