A 16-year-old who deputies said stabbed to death a boy at their Broward County group foster home is being charged as an adult in Broward County court.
Ruben Whitworth’s case was transferred to adult court, and he was taken to the Broward Sheriff’s Office’s Paul Rein Detention Facility on Friday. His arraignment was held Tuesday morning, court records show. He is facing one count of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
Deputies were called on Aug. 25 to the group home in the 5400 block of Northeast Third Avenue in Oakland Park after Whitworth allegedly stabbed Jordan Dowdy, 14, at least five times, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Jordan had no less than seven visible stab wounds on his body, including his chest. He was pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale less than an hour after deputies arrived at the home, according to the affidavit.
Ruben Whitworth, 16, is shown in a Broward Sheriff’s Office booking photo on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Broward Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy)
After Whitworth was detained, he told detectives that he had been arguing that afternoon with Jordan about chores and that they had fought before and did not get along, the affidavit said.
Whitworth was sitting in the living room while he continued yelling at Jordan, who had gone into his room. He then got up from the couch, pushed past someone and walked into Jordan’s room with the knife and went straight for Jordan, witnesses told deputies, according to the affidavit.
Whitworth said at first that he stabbed Jordan because the boy “charged” at him multiple times during their fight and he was in fear of being beaten, but he later said he wasn’t acting in self defense.
Whitworth admitted he got the knife about a week earlier, after a previous argument with Jordan, according to the affidavit. Hidden in his waistband, he took it out, entered Jordan’s room and stabbed him multiple times, he told deputies.
