Glen Edward Rogers

Background

Glen Edward Rogers was a spree killer whose cross-country rampage in 1994-95 left at least four women dead in four separate states. He was described as a “charming, handsome and volatile individual” who picked up blond and redheaded women in bars and asked them for a ride home, then tried to spend the night with them. The killings were described as an impromptu burst of rage after drunken incidents.

Authorities believed that he might be linked to as many as twelve deaths, and they stated that he had told his sister that he was responsible for more than 70 deaths two days before his arrest; later, he recanted the number and said he was merely joking.

The offence

Murder of Tina Marie Cribbs (Florida)

Glen Edward Rogers was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Tina Marie Cribbs.

On 11/05/95, Tina Marie Cribbs was seen leaving the Showtown Barn in Tampa with Glen Edward Rogers. On 11/07/95, a cleaning person found Cribbs in a Tampa motel room. She had been stabbed in the chest and the buttocks. Rogers stabbed her twice, twisting the knife as he pulled it out from eight- and nine-inch wounds in her chest and buttocks. He left her to a slow, agonizing death in a motel bathtub.

Cribbs’ mother stated that Tina always wore a sapphire and diamond ring and a gold watch. These pieces of jewelry were not found with Cribbs’ body.

A bartender told police that Rogers had bought Cribbs and her friends drinks. Cribbs told her friends that she would be back shortly to meet her mother. Cribbs’ mother arrived at the bar and paged Cribbs because she had not returned to the bar.

A motel clerk said that Rogers had arrived in a cab at the motel a few days prior to the murder. On 11/05/95, Rogers paid for another night and asked that no one clean his room. The clerk observed Rogers packing suitcases into a White Ford Festiva.

Other killings mentioned in the case narrative (not charged in the Florida matter)

The narrative stated that Rogers’s first victim was believed to be a former house mate whose corpse was found in January 1993 under a pile of furniture in an abandoned house owned by the Rogers family. It also described a woman he met at a bar in Van Nuys, California who was found raped and strangled inside her burning pickup truck. Another barfly was found stabbed to death in her bathtub in Jackson, Mississippi on November 3. Yet another woman’s body was found in a bathtub in Tampa, Florida on November 5. His last victim in the narrative was found stabbed to death in her bedroom on November 11 in Bossier City, Louisiana. Another alleged victim was described as being found in Bossier City, La., but no charges were filed in that case.

Investigation

Fingerprints lifted from Cribbs’ wallet and the Tampa motel room were matched to Rogers.

Hamilton, Ohio, a police detective was quoted as saying:

“He's getting to be like one of your serial killers”

Arrest

Rogers was arrested in Kentucky on 11/13/95 while driving Cribbs’s car. He claimed a girl had loaned him the car. Rogers also claimed that the girl was alive when he left. Cribbs’s wallet was found at a rest area on Interstate-10 in North Florida several days earlier on 11/06/95. Authorities stated he was being cooperative during a six-hour interview after his arrest on November 13.

Trial

Florida trial

Rogers was indicted on 12/13/95 on the following counts:

• Count I: Murder in the First-Degree (Tina Marie Cribbs)
• Count II: Robbery with a Weapon
• Count III: Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle

On 05/07/97, Rogers was found guilty on all counts charged in the indictment.

On 05/09/97, upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by a 12 to 0 majority, voted for the death penalty.

On 12/13/95 (indictment date), Glen Rogers was indicted on Count I, Count II, and Count III as listed above.

Defense and witness testimony (Florida trial)

During the seven-day trial, the defense maintained that Rogers wasn’t the murderer.

Hamilton, Ohio Police Sgt. Tom Kilgore testified that Rogers had worked for the department as a paid undercover narcotics informant, making hundreds of cases over the years without ever breaking his cover.

In his closing argument, defense attorney Nick Sinardi said:

“Glen Rogers is a thief, not a murderer.”

California trial mentioned in the narrative

Rogers stood trial for strangling Sandra Gallagher and leaving Gallagher’s body in her burning automobile. He was convicted of First-Degree Murder and Arson on 06/22/99 and sentenced to death on 07/16/99. Rogers then was transported back to the control of Florida’s Department of Corrections in August of 1999.

Rogers, described as 38, was convicted of killing Sandra Gallagher in September 1995. The 33-year-old mother of three met Rogers in a bar, and her body was found later in a burning truck.

Sentencing

Florida sentencing (Tina Marie Cribbs)

On 07/11/97, Glen Rogers was sentenced as follows:

• Count I: Murder in the First-Degree (Tina Marie Cribbs) – Death
• Count II: Robbery with a Weapon – Natural Life
• Count III: Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle – 5 years

The sentencing in Florida was described as being imposed on July 11, 1997.

After sentencing, Glen’s brother Claude, a real estate agent from Palm Springs, California, said:

“If you watch my brother -- he's been sitting watching a movie. I don't think reality has set in.”

Glen Rogers, through his lawyer, was still claiming he was innocent.

California sentencing (Sandra Gallagher)

Rogers was sentenced to death on 07/16/99 for First-Degree Murder and Arson related to the strangling of Sandra Gallagher and leaving Gallagher’s body in her burning automobile.

Appeals

Florida Supreme Court (direct appeal)

Glen Rogers filed his Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 09/11/97. He raised several issues on appeal, including:

• that the State of Florida did not present sufficient evidence to support the charges
• that the trial court erred in the handling of mitigating circumstances
• that the trial court should have granted the defense’s motions for a mistrial because:
  • a witness was allowed to testify about a misdemeanor for which Rogers was convicted in California
  • the prosecution was allowed to present an improper argument during closing arguments
  • the Hillsborough State Attorneys’ office was allowed to prosecute the case
• that there was newly discovered evidence
• that the sentence of death was not proportionate to the crime committed

The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence on 03/01/01. Rehearing was denied on 04/24/01. A mandate was issued on 06/06/01.

Florida habeas corpus and extradition to California

Rogers filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus on 10/13/97 with the Bradford County Circuit Court. The Circuit Court denied the petition and granted the extradition of Rogers to California in order to stand trial for First-Degree Murder and Arson on 12/08/97.

Rogers filed an Appeal of the Habeas Corpus Denial and the Order of Extradition to California on 01/05/98. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the decisions of the Circuit Court to deny the Petition of Habeas Corpus and to grant extradition to California on 05/14/98. Rehearing was denied on 07/10/98. A mandate was issued on 11/13/98.

Florida 3.850 motion and appeal

Rogers filed a 3.850 Motion with the circuit court on 09/28/01. He filed amended motions on 07/18/02 and 05/08/03. The motion was denied on 03/08/05.

On 04/11/05, Rogers filed a 3.850 Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court; the appeal was currently pending. On 09/21/05, Rogers filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court; the petition was currently pending.

Outcome

Rogers was sentenced to death in Florida for the murder of Tina Marie Cribbs and received a natural life sentence for robbery with a weapon and a 5-year sentence for grand theft of a motor vehicle in the same Florida case.

In California, Rogers was convicted of First-Degree Murder and Arson for the strangling of Sandra Gallagher and was sentenced to death.

An automatic appeal of his Florida death sentence was described as pending, and no execution date had been set in the narrative.

Other details

Glen Edward Rogers was described as “Glen Edward Rogers DC# 124400 DOB: 07/15/62” and described as “AKA: Casanova Killer.”

The trial and sentencing listing included:

• Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County
• Case #95-15314
• Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Diana M. Allen
• Attorney, Trial: Nick Sinardi – Esquire
• Direct Appeal: A. Anne Owens – Assistant Public Defender
• Collateral Appeals: Richard Kiley and James Viggiano – CCRC-M
• Date of Offense: 11/05/95
• Date of Sentence: 07/11/97

Circumstances of Offense were stated to include that on 11/05/95 Tina Marie Cribbs was seen leaving the Showtown Barn in Tampa with Glen Edward Rogers, and on 11/07/95 a cleaning person found Cribbs in a Tampa motel room.

Additional information included that on 07/09/97, the State of California indicted Rogers on counts of First-Degree Murder and Arson. The governors of California and Florida reached an extradition agreement to extradite Rogers to California to stand trial, then to transport him to Florida to serve his sentence once the trial in California was completed. Rogers was extradited to California in October 1998.

The narrative also included a characterization of motive and method:

• It described the motive as “Sex./Sad.”
• It described the method as a “Random slayer” of one elderly man and women age 33-37.
• It stated the victims were “Five+ (70 claimed).”