Wife testifies man who shot son said he saw vampires
BY JON SEIDEL Sun-Times Media jseidel@suntimes.com May 31, 2012 6:30PM
Roderick Tademy
Updated: May 31, 2012 8:30PM
A Joliet man accused of shooting his 12-year-old son in the head thought he saw vampires and suffered other delusions, the child’s mother said as his trial began Thursday.
Roderick Tademy, 37, was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery after prosecutors said he shot the boy in the family’s living room Dec. 20, 2010. His attorneys told jurors their client suffered from schizophrenia, and they said prosecutors won’t prove their case.
The shooting happened while Tademy’s wife was getting ready to take their three children to the mall. Antoinette Tademy said she was in the couple’s bedroom when she heard a “loud clap.” Roderick Tademy then walked in holding a gun and tried to hit her with it. He also accused the boy of trying to molest one of his sisters.
The boy’s mother said she tried to escape from the home with her children, and she called 911 once she realized her son had been shot.
But then, after Tademy put the gun up to his chin and said “I’m sorry, I’m losing my mind,” she said she reached for the gun and he released it.
Then Tademy grabbed a towel and checked the child’s wrist for a pulse while she used the towel to wipe away the boy’s blood.
Antoinette Tademy said Roderick Tademy had been drinking since 7 a.m. that day and finished half of a large bottle of vodka. She said he didn’t act drunk, but alcohol had a tendency to bring on his delusions.
Though he’d previously sought help for depression, she said she never could convince him to get further psychological help.
Their son, Obedyah Tademy, is now in a long-term care facility in Bloomingdale, Antoinette Tademy said. He can’t breath, walk or talk on his own.
