Alabama Murder Suspect Accused of Attempting to Burn Bodies of 7 Victims

Closing arguments were made on Tuesday in the capital murder trial of Frederic Rogers, who is accused of killing seven people and then attempting to burn their bodies. The jury will now decide on the verdict.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Garrick Vickery told the jury that Rogers no longer saw the victims as people or friends. After allegedly helping John Legg shoot and kill seven individuals in a Valhermoso Springs house in 2020, Rogers returned to fire more shots into their bodies. Then, he tried to burn the bodies and destroy evidence, focusing only on protecting himself. Forensics confirmed the victims were already dead before the fire began.

Rogers' defense attorneys, J. Brent Burney, Carl Cole, and Christy Miller, have not denied Rogers' involvement in the murders. During the opening statements, Cole even told the jury that Rogers would be found guilty and likely die in prison. However, on Tuesday, Burney disputed some charges against Rogers.

The victims included four men and three women: Jeramy Roberts, 31, James Wayne Benford, 22, William Zane Hodgin, 18, Roger Lee Jones Jr., 20, Tammy England Muzzey, 45, Emily Brooke Payne, 21, and Dakota Green, 17. One of the charges against Rogers is for murder during arson because of the fires at the scene.

Burney questioned whether the State could prove all the charges, especially since the forensic evidence showed no signs of smoke inhalation in the victims' bodies, indicating they were already dead before the fire. Another charge against Rogers is for murder during a robbery, as he allegedly took some of the victims' phones. Burney argued that this theft might have been an afterthought.

Assistant District Attorney Courtney Schellack told the jury that Rogers was proud of his actions. He and Legg had started a motorcycle club called the "Seven Deadly Sins," and two of their victims were members. Rogers' nickname in the club was "Pride."

Schellack urged the jury to remember the victims and the brutal way they died. She described how one victim, Tammy Muzzey, who had invited the attackers to dinner, was shot 13 times and set on fire. Another victim, 17-year-old Dakota Green, was the last to die, realizing what was happening before she was killed.

Vickery emphasized that Rogers planned to steal the victims' phones and burn evidence to eliminate any connection to the crime. He believes the evidence clearly shows Rogers is guilty of capital murder. Burney, however, maintained that Rogers has confessed twice and expects the jury to find him guilty.

The jury did not reach a verdict on Tuesday and will continue their deliberations on Wednesday.