Suspect Arrested in Brutal Deaths of Couple Over $40

Deputies have arrested a man in the brutal deaths of a young couple in Hernando County, killed because they owed him less than $50 for prescription drugs.

40-year-old Craig Lede confessed that he beat to death, John W. Ketsemidis, 29, of Spring Hill and his girlfriend, Dana D. Nelson, 28, of Masaryktown, when John was unable to pay back the money that he owed him.

Investigators were alerted by John’s mother after Lede drove to her home on December 1, in John’s car, asking for money to take to him. Ms. Ketsemidis, John’s mother, didn’t give Lede any money, but instead contacted the Sheriff’s Office as she was unable to reach her son.

On December 2, deputies went to Lede’s home on 4272 Gondolier Road looking for John and asked to search his home. Investigators say, their request was based on the fact that John was reported missing, Lede was in possession of John’s car the day before and John’s ankel monitoring device was tracking to the Gondolier address. (John was on probation and court orders to wear a tracking device.)

Deputies upon entering Lede’s home observed a deceased human wrapped in a blanket on the garage floor.  Authorities took Lede in for questioning where he admitted to killing John and provided information that he had also killed Dana Nelson.

Dana’s body was found in the trunk of John’s vehicle, located in the garage at Lede’s Gondolier address.  Deputies said, Lede had been riding around with Dana’s body in the car trunk, including when he visited John’s mother.

Deputies believe John and Dana were murdered on November 30, sometime after 11:00 p.m., after they went to Lede’s home to discuss the debt.

Lede told detectives when John was unable to pay the money he was owed, he became enraged and attacked both John and Dana with a bat. Deputies believe the money was owed for prescription drugs.    According to news reports, John owed as little as $40 to Lede.

Deputies learned that Lede, Ketsemidis and Nelson were patients of the Hope Pain Management Clinic, which was shut down about one month ago, following an 18-month investigation.

Craig Lede was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center. He has been charged with two counts of pre-mediated murder, one count of grand theft and is being held without bond.

“Although we cannot link this heinous and senseless crime directly to the abuse of prescription drugs, there is little doubt that it significantly contributed to the deaths of these two young people,” said Sheriff Al Nienhuis. “This is a perfect example that prescription drug abuse is not a victimless or a non-violent crime.”