The family dinner used to be a place to gather and catch up in a nice, peaceful, and relaxing atmosphere.
Over the past few years, some family gatherings have gotten more tense and combative, largely due to political differences.
But this family dinner turned deadly after a Florida man dies during an argument nobody could believe.
A family dinner turned deadly in Melbourne, Florida, after a 19-year-old allegedly killed his father during what turned into a heated argument over a plate of food.
A dinner dispute devolves into death
What started as a small squabble over who deserved a plate of food unfortunately escalated into a physical altercation that ended in a man’s death.
According to police reports, Julien Welch-Beddoe was making a meal on the evening of January 19, 2025, when his father, 45-year-old Francis Welch, stepped in and took over.
Welch then reportedly told his son that he did not deserve to eat because he did not have a job.
But Welch-Beddoe was undeterred and continued making his plate of food.
According to the reports, that is when his father pushed him.
And that is when things took a violent, and deadly, turn.
Police say Welch-Beddoe reacted to being pushed by putting his father in a headlock and then delivering two or three punches to his ribs.
The fight then ended as a struggle on the floor before the senior Welch’s fiancée managed to separate the father and son wrestling match.
At first, it appeared the situation had de-escalated and seemed to be over.
Welch-Beddoe reportedly released his father from his hold, assuming he was fine.
But about five minutes later, his father’s fiancée screamed, “This isn’t a joke!”
Things go from bad to worse
Welch was then found unresponsive on the couch, pale, head tilted back, and struggling to breathe.
Emergency services rushed Welch to a nearby hospital, but by 1 a.m. on January 20, he had succumbed to his injuries.
The medical examiner later said that Welch suffered from three broken ribs and a lacerated spleen.
It was the latter injury that led to fatal internal bleeding and caused his death.
Not surprisingly, alcohol was involved in the deadly dinner dispute.
Toxicology reports showed that Welch had a shocking 0.391 blood alcohol content at the time of the altercation.
That is nearly five times the legal driving limit.
But just as surprisingly, his son was reportedly completely sober.
Authorities charged Welch-Beddoe with manslaughter and arrested him on February 5, the Miami Herald reported.
Welch-Beddoe has pleaded not guilty, and his bail was set at $50,000 on the condition that he has no contact with any of his father’s relatives.
His next court appearance is scheduled for March 25, 2025.
The events leading up to this tragic case, and the police reports, are leaving many questions still unanswered.
Was Welch’s death just an unfortunate accident, or was the fight the result of a household already out of control for other reasons?
The legal system will ultimately decide Welch-Beddoe’s fate, but regardless, this was a deadly dinner dispute with the most tragic of consequences.
And all over a plate of food and a job.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
