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Molino Mom Sentenced For Husband’s Murder
April 30, 2016
A Molino mom that once claimed a “stand your ground” defense in the murder of her husband 2013 is now headed to state prison.
Rebecca A. Rogers, 45, was sentenced Friday by Judge Thomas Dannheisser to two years in prison, to be followed by 13 years probation. She will receive credit for 42 days that she already served in the county jail. She faced a maximum of 15 years in prison, with sentencing guidelines calling for about nine years behind bars.
Rogers pleaded no contest to manslaughter for shooting her husband, 42-year old Jason Lee Rogers in August 2013. Her attorneys previously made a motion to dismiss the case, saying Rogers acted within the parameters of Florida’s self-defense “stand your ground” law. That motion was denied at the local level and by the Florida First District Court of Appeals.
The ruling from the appeals court last June did not allow her to claim she acted under the “stand you ground” law, but it specifically did not prohibit Rogers from claiming self-defense at trial.
Friday’s sentencing hearing lasted over five hours as Dannheisser reviewed evidence and heard testimony from Rogers and her family.
“I am so sorry that this happened,” Rogers told the judge. “I regret that this happened and I regret that I shot Jason that night.” She said she still loves Jason Rogers and apologized for the pain and suffering caused by her actions. “I am sorry for taking their son, their brother. For taking my children’s father and my grandson’s ‘Grappie’,” she said.
Dannheisser reviewed the 911 recording from the night of the murder, during which Rogers said, “He came after me. He was choking me and he said it was going to be he last night of my life.”
Two of Roger’s four daughters testified about the abuse their mother suffered from their father. “Please don’t take her away from us your honor,” Roger’s oldest daughter Kayla Clear said.
Dannheisser said the evidence did show aggression by Jason Rogers, but he said he believes that deadly force should have been used only as a last resort. He ordered Rogers, who had been free on bond, immediately remanded into custody to begin her sentence.
Rebecca Rogers shot her husband twice in the back and once in the head inside the couple’s home in the 3400 block of Highway 29 in Molino. She told a 911 dispatcher that her husband choked her and then she shot him.
Deputies arrived to find Rebecca Rogers standing outside the home. They found Jason Rogers lying unconscious in the back bedroom of the home on his stomach with a gunshot to his head. He also suffered two other gunshot wounds to the back. He died at a local hospital about two days later.
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13 Responses to “Molino Mom Sentenced For Husband’s Murder”
#StandYourGround is a flawed, useless, unecessary law which does not work for battered women.
Unless you are a female in an abusive situation you would never understand the situation. “She never called 911?” You don’t dare to call because he will get out of jail very quickly and come for you and your children! You just try to hide the abuse from your friends and family and hope to live. It is good that I didn’t have a gun in my possession during those years of abuse because I would have probably shot him in his sleep!
She got what she got because the prosecution offered her the manslaughter charge.
First she tried to use the “stand your ground law” defense.
But the court said no.
But if she went to trial with a charge of more than manslaughter she could have claimed self defense.
And possibly be found not guilty by jury.
Prosecution obviously did not have a convincing case against her.
And offered her the conviction she got instead.
Nobody knows what went on behind their closed doors. We all have a face that we show to the public every day. If he was an abusive husband he got what he deserved – if not, the lady will have to answer to a higher power in the end. I only know that living in an abusive relationship can absolutely cause you to snap – you might not remember if you shot three or a hundred times just to put an end to the misery. .
We can all speculate what actually happened that night. I can’t condone abuse by either man or woman (women can be just as abusive) unless you were there you don’t know. Only her and family and God knows. They have to live with that wait for karma.
It is not as easy as some think to just walk away. Most men who are abusive are very controlling as well, limiting their spouse access to money and transportation, and even making people uncomfortable to be around them so as to limit the abused contact to friends, and family. Not to mention a person needs some where to go when they leave. Then there is the argument, Why didn’t someone, say a friend or a family member, step in? When that happens the person stepping in usually gets arrested. I know nothing of this case or the people involved but I will say from what I have read the shooting of Jason Rogers was no the only thing being tried here. From the start the Stand Your Ground Law was being challenged.
She had two choices. Leave or shoot the daddy of her children twice in the back and once more in the head. No testimony of her making prior 911 calls for being abused. Neither of the twos daughters who testified of prior abuse ever called 911. Only at the trial did the shooter and two daughters conveniently claimed that there was prior abuse. But you can’t blame the convicted wife or oldest daughter pleading for the judge not to impose prison. But the blame should be on the judge who didn’t even follow the suggested guidelines of a 9 year prison term. What didn’t the judge understand? Two shots in the back and 1 in the head. What a disgrace. He should be removed from office. And for people saying “the deceased” sounded like a bad guy. Really? You are going to take the word over someone who pleaded No contest to manslaughter?
As I recall she shot him in the back when he started to a closet where he kept his guns and “was going to end this right now”. Puts another light on the subject. Both of their daughters testified as to what kind of abuse their mother had to put up with and ask that she not be sent to prison. Now what happens to the family home and to the two daughters. Judge you made a bad call on this one.
I agree she should have not been abused. But here’s the facts she shot him in the back this means he must have been walking away from her at that point. This means that the threat was over she should have left the house. This sounds to me like she got tired of the abuse which she should have been tired of it. But she should have left. She’s very lucky that she got what she got. But I do have to say if this would have been him that did this to her it would have been life in prison or death. The man sounds like he was evil person not defending him. Just saying how our justice system is screwed up and what should have been done.
Molinoman, ditto. Maybe two shots to the back, but then one in the head?, thats murder.
thank god thats all she got.well men out there that aint been abused dont know what they talking about.she needs to needs to be with her kids. they have suffered enough.you dont just walk away from an abusive man i know.of course men dont understand that. i was abused for along time and you dont just walk away im sorry. yes there are alot of women that dont walk away they die and the men dont blink an eye. i belive she is sorry but its to late.god bless her and her kids.
Don’t ya love the justice system when it comes to women. Let me see, I’ll stay in a bad relationship/marriage where I get assaulted regularly and do nothing to leave the situation. I’ll stay until I can’t take it any more and shoot my spouse in the back and then in the head.
Wait I am male, I would get murder instead of manslaughter and would also get life in prison instead of 2 years.
There is so much help out there for battered women, there is no excuse for sticking around and letting it come to murder.
She should be free, time to heal. She served her time in an abusive marriage. Domestic violence never had a good outcome. Prayers be with her and all families involved.