Is Charles Rothenberg still alive? Here's what we know so far

Something about crime fascinates some people. Whether it be a morbid interest in the macabre, a genuine attempt to make sense of what happened, or an obsession with trying to piece together a cold case. Cases such as Charles Rothenberg attempted murder of his son is one of the most captivating crimes ever committed, having gripped people all over the world.

Charles Rothenberg is an American criminal from New York, USA. He is accused of setting his son, David Rothenberg, on fire in the Buena Park motel room. David was only six years old when his father attempted to kill him.

Charles Rothenberg’s profile summary

Full name	Charles Rothenberg
Nickname	Charles, Rothenberg
Gender	Male
Date of birth	1940
Age	86 years (as of 2026)
Place of birth	New York, USA
Current residence	California, USA
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Caucasian-white
Religion	Christianity
Sexuality	Straight
Weight in pounds	174
Weight in kilograms	79
Body measurements in inches	40-32-35
Body measurements in centimetres	102-81-89
Height in feet	5' 10''
Height in centimetres	176
Bicep size	15.5’
Shoe size	8 (US)
Hair colour	Dark brown
Eye colour	Dark brown
Relationship status	Divorced
Ex-partner	Marie Rothenberg
Children	David Rothenberg
Famous for	Attempted murder and other criminal offences

Charles is an American ruthless and convicted murderer. He was born in 1940 in New York City, New York, USA. He has not offered any information about his early life and upbringing. There are no publicly known details about his parents, siblings and educational background.

Charles married the love of his life, Marie Rothenberg, in 1970 after dating for a couple of years. The couple welcomed their first child, David Rothenberg, six years after the union. Unfortunately, the marriage was quite aggressive, as Charles used to beat his wife. After having enough of the beating and abuse, Marie filed for a divorce in 1980.

Is Marie Rothenberg still alive? Yes. After divorcing David, she married a police officer who had supervised the fire investigation, Richard Hafdahl. Afterwards, Marie, Richard and David relocated to Orange County, California, USA.

Attempted murder

How did David Rothenberg die? What is Charles Rothenberg famous for? He was famous for committing different crimes in the United States. He was a cruel man from a young age and regularly harassed and beat his wife. In 1980, his wife filed for divorce, and the couple separated immediately.

The couple had a son, David Rothenberg. Three years after the separation, Charles took his son David to a motel where he gave him some sleeping pills in his snacks. After falling asleep, Charles spread kerosene on David’s bed and set it on fire.

Luckily, he survived the attack but suffered third-degree burns over 90% of his body. This required him to undergo both toe and finger amputations and over a hundred skin grafts.

Arrest and charges

What happened to Rothenberg's father? Charles was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of his six-year-old son. In July 1983, he was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment. This was the maximum jail sentence permitted at the time of his offence. However, as a result of his case, these guidelines were changed.

After serving his sentence of seven years, he was released in 1990 on three years' supervised parole. Two years later, he fled but later turned himself into authorities. In 1996, he was tried for a shooting incident in Oakland.

What happened to Charles Rothenberg? In 1998, he changed his name from Charles Rothenberg to Charley Charles. Then, in 2007, after conviction for several offences in two states, he was sentenced to 25 years to life for weapons offences under California's three strikes law.

Who was Charles Rothenberg’s son?

His son was David Charles Rothenberg before changing his moniker to David Jordan in 1992. He was born on 18th June 1976. David went to ArtCenter College of Design. Later, he legally changed his name to Dave Dave to free himself from the bad legacy.

After completing his education, he started working as a house music DJ, rapper and music producer. In 1996, he directed a music video for Kelli Lidell before shifting his focus to conceptual art in Las Vegas. He also collaborated with various artists.

On 15th July 2018, he passed away at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas. How old was Dave Dave when he died? He passed away at the age of 42. David succumbed to pneumonia complications.

Is Rothenberg alive?

Yes, he is. Even though his son passed away in 2018, Charles Rothenberg is still alive. He is currently serving his 25 years to a life sentence in prison in California, USA.

Charles Rothenberg's book and movie

In 1985, David’s mother published a book titled David. In 2019 Mel White and Marie Rothenberg published an expanded version of the book David and gave it the title David's Story: Burned by His Father's Rage, Healed by His Mother's Love.

In 1988, Marie's first book, David, was adapted into the 1988 movie of the same name. So, is the movie David a true story? Yes, it is. The film dramatises the true story of David Rothenberg, who was burned by his father at the age of six. The film stars include:

• Matthew Lawrence as David
• Bernadette Peter as Marie (David’s mother)
• John Glover as Charles Rothenberg (David’s father)

Charles Rothenberg is a ruthless criminal from the United States. In 1983, he attempted to kill his own six years old son David Rothenberg. Instead, Charles fired up David in a motel room at Buena Park Motel. As of now, he is serving his life sentence in prison.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke