Palm Bay, Florida: On October 22 at approximately 11:30 pm 33-year-old Jason Godleski entered the lobby of the Palm Bay Police Department and spoke with a dispatcher using the lobby phone.
During that call, as indicated in the probable cause affidavit, Godleski provided his address and indicated that his 12-year-old son was deceased inside the residence. "I know you guys are going to come down here and take me away," he was recorded as saying.
"What we discovered [in the home] was horrifying," Palm Bay Police Chief Nelson Moya said during a press conference.
Noah's body was recovered from the laundry room of the home showing "obvious" signs of trauma and had been deceased for "a lengthy period." Moya indicated that it appeared the boy had suffered "torture" at the hands of Godleski and his girlfriend, Samarial Dubose.
Godleski soon requested a lawyer and refused to speak with police further. He additionally would not answer questions about the whereabouts of Dubose or their other three children, ages 9, 3, and a toddler, but merely stated that they were "safe" and "out of state."
Investigators soon located Dubose in Connecticut with family members and began obtaining statements from her and the children though it was not long before investigators began to find inconsistencies in the statements and learn that Godleski and Dubose had previously discussed how to answer questions.
According to information revealed in an interview with Godleski's mother, the couple had discussed telling officers that Godleski was solely responsible so that Dubose could maintain custody of the children. She had allegedly agreed to wait for him until he was released form jail.
Godleski and Dubose are both in custody and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and failure to report a death. Investigators indicated that additional or upgraded charges will likely be filed in this case as the investigation continues.
What is known of the case at this time is that on or about October 17 Noah was taken into the laundry room of the home and beaten. At some point thereafter he seems to have lost his ability to walk and within days after, lost the ability to form sentences.
Godleski and Dubose allegedly discussed taking Noah to the hospital, but decided that they would wait and take him the following day if he did not regain his ability to walk.
On October 20, Godleski took Dubose and the other children to Connecticut, allegedly saying it was to give Dubose a break from Noah. By the time they left the residence, officers say that Noah was already deceased.
Moya indicated that it appears as though Dubose has been both arrested and suspected for abusing Noah in the past. Investigators have learned that she was arrested in 2013 for allegations of abuse and again investigated for child abuse and neglect in Massachusetts in 2018.
"In March 2020, there's a confirmed allegation to our Department of Children and Families- a case involving an allegation brought forth by a teacher at one of our local schools that Noah was the victim of child abuse at the hands of both" Godleski and Dubose. Later that same month, Noah was taken out of school.
Moya said that his department was never notified of the allegations and that the case was eventually closed as "unfounded."
Noah's biological mother has not been involved in his life for "some time" and has been notified of his death.
The remaining three children have been placed into custody of family members and investigators have not found any signs that they suffered abuse or neglect.