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Palm Bay man gets 38 years in prison for the 2021 death of his son

Jason Godleski pleaded no contest to second-degree murder

Jason Godleski. (Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

PALM BAY, Fla. – A Palm Bay man will spend 38 years in prison for the beating death of his 12-year-old son in 2021.

Jason Godleski, 38, was sentenced this week in Brevard County after pleading no contest to charges of second-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and neglect of a child with great bodily harm.

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Prosecutors said Godleski beat his son, Noah, with a baseball bat for misbehaving, then locked him in the laundry room. Instead of seeking medical care for the boy, Godleski and the rest of his family drove to Connecticut and left Noah alone and locked up.

Palm Bay police say a few days later Godleski walked into the department’s lobby to report his son had passed away in his sleep.

The Brevard County medical examiner believed the boy had been dead for several days before police were notified.

Prosecutors also believe Godleski had been starving Noah as well. He weighed 62 pounds.

Godleski’s live-in girlfriend, Samarial DuBose, was sentenced in 2023 to 30 years in prison for her role in the boy’s death.