PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- It’s one of the most bizarre cases Arizona has ever seen.
A 29-year-old convicted sex offender posed as a child and enrolled in four Arizona schools. He disguised his age by shaving his entire body and using professional make up. He went by the name “Casey Price.”
The elaborate ruse started to unravel in January 2007. Investigators credit three administrators from Mingus Springs Charter School in Chino Valley with raising the red flag.
Administrators noticed “Casey’s” German birth certificate listed his height in centimeters and weight in pounds, so they started asking questions and discovered they’d been given bogus documents. They called police.
Yavapai County sheriff’s detective Ross Diskin was the lead investigator. In his first in-depth interview, he shared new insight into a case he spent two years unraveling.
“We were pretty upset knowing this pedophile (was) going to school with children," said Detective Ross Diskin.
"Casey" was actually 29-year-old Neil Rodreick, a convicted sex offender from Oklahoma. Investigators said not only did he shave his body and use make up, he also studied child behavior.
"He maintained the child mannerisms -- keeping his head down low, hanging his head, no eye contact," said Diskin.
Rodreick even carried out the charade at home -- duping two men who took him in -- Lonnie Stiffler and Robert Snow.
"I think he was proud of conning people,” said Diskin. “That's part of his motivation."
Police say the ruse started years prior, after Rodreick, pretending to be “Casey,” befriended Stiffler and Snow on the Internet.
“Rodreick knows how strong that sexual desire is toward children for a pedophile, and he played on it,” said Diskin.
Police discovered a trail of hundreds of e-mails, court documents and guardianship papers -– all forged by Rodreick to convince Stiffler and Snow they had permission to bring “Casey” to Arizona.
About a year after Rodreick moved to Arizona, a man by the name of Brian Nellis also moved out west. Nellis claimed to be “Casey’s” cousin.
“Rodreick was running the show; Nellis was there to support him,” said Diskin.
"Casey" had such control he even convinced Stiffler he was on probation. Not only did he assign him yard work duties, but he even graded Stiffler, giving high marks for care of equipment. But when it came to attitude toward peers and supervisors, apparently Stiffler was only "marginally cooperative."
"He was the one who was in control of the whole situation," said Sgt. Luis Huante, of the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, who also worked the case. “He had the master bedroom. He had the flat screen TV. He had the best computer in the house."
So why would Neil Rodreick concoct such a wild story? Any why would he live such a complicated lie?
Perhaps the best insight comes from a man Rodreick had an intimate relationship with. A man he shared an Oklahoma prison cell with years ago. A man who ultimately caved and revealed their elaborate ruse to investigators.
Brian Nellis.
“He liked the power of trying to manipulate others,“ said Brian Nellis. It was a pretty big lie to pull something like that off.”
In his first prison interview, Nellis discussed his relationship with Rodreick.
"I told Neil, you know, time and time again, I loved him like a brother," said Nellis.
"Well -- like how you would love a family member,” Nellis clarified, when reminded the two of them had a sexual relationship.
He also offered insight into Rodreick's psyche, saying he never got over the loss of his mother when he was a teenager.
"I think he was 13 at the time when she died, so I don't know if that could have been a trigger into his relapse -- thinking he's still 13," said Nellis. “When he was a kid, he didn't really have a childhood. It was all taken away."
Investigators speculate Rodreick was motivated by power and a desire to have access to children.
“As far as getting inside Rodreick's head, I don't know that I want to get inside Rodreick's head,” said Diskin. “He's a pedophile. That's his life. That's what he is. That's what he'll always be."
All four men are currently serving prison terms.
A judge sentenced Rodreick to more than 70 years in prison.
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Sgt. Luis Huante
