A terrifying story of murder and deceit, the Richard Rogers Murderer case captured the public’s attention.
He terrorised the gay and bisexual communities in several states between 1992 and 1993, leaving a trail of horror and hopelessness in his wake.
Let’s examine the circumstances surrounding his murder, the probe that resulted in his capture, and the horrifying specifics of his horrific deeds.
The oldest of his five siblings, Richard Westall Rogers Jr. was born on June 16, 1950, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
His mother, a telephone operator, and his father, a committed lobsterman, had a big impact on him as he was growing up.
Later, the family relocated to Florida in search of better possibilities. But even as a small child, he displayed indications of a problematic personality.
He experienced bullying at Palmetto High School, perhaps as a result of his effeminate personality and high voice.
He preferred attending academic events and French club meetings than doing traditional macho things.
When Richard Rogers is accused of stabbing his elderly neighbour in the late 1960s, his life as a murderer takes a nasty turn.
Despite Rogers identifying as gay, the reason for this violent crime is still unknown, but others theorise that it might have been the result of a rebuffed advance.
He spent a short time in an institution after the incident, but he eventually earned his high school diploma in 1968.
The grisly world of serial killers has always captured people’s attention, and the notoriously notorious “Last Call Killer” case is no exception.
During his time in college, Rogers led a solitary existence. He attended Florida Southern College and graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts in French.
He is thought to have committed his first murder around this time. Frederic Alan Spencer, Richard Rogers’ housemate, was killed in a horrible act of violence in 1973.
Spencer was asphyxiated with a plastic bag after being struck with a roofing hammer, and the body was dumped close to the Bird Stream forest in Maine.
Surprisingly, he was able to avoid prosecution and was found not guilty after professing self-defense in court.
After being exonerated in 1973, he started a new journey in New York. He chose to become a nurse because he wanted to improve people’s lives.
He worked tirelessly and with commitment to earn his master’s in science from Pace University’s School of Nursing.
His perseverance paid off when he was able to land a job at the prestigious Mount Sinai Medical Centre as a surgical nurse.
Under this seemingly normal appearance, he was hiding hidden ambitions and unnerving aggressive tendencies from others.
The 1988 murderer of Richard Rogers is accused of abusing a guy he met in a Manhattan bar, drugging him to make him unconscious, and then putting him through a horrible ordeal.
He was detained but managed to avoid punishment by being found not guilty in a nonjury trial.
Targeting gay and bi*xual men, the Richard Rogers killer went on a horrific killing spree between 1991 and 1993.
The dismembered bodies of his victims, who he lured from Manhattan piano bars, were later found in garbage cans outside highways in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.
He was given the terrifying nickname “The Last Call Killer” for this string of killings.
Peter Stickney Anderson was the first identified victim; his remains were discovered in a garbage can by the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1991.
The following victims were identified as Anthony Edward Marrero and Thomas Richard Mulcahy in New Jersey in 1992 and 1993, respectively.
Atrocious mutilation and dismemberment patterns were used in Ach’s murder.
Richard Rogers’ murder trial began on October 26, 2005, after his arrest in May 2001.
He received a plea deal during the jury selection process.
If Rogers admitted to manslaughter in both cases, the proposed agreement stated that he may be sentenced to two periods of 32 years each, with the option of release after fifteen years.
In addition, confessing to third-degree murder in Peter Anderson’s death would result in a ten to twenty-year prison term.
He gave the proposition some serious thought, but ultimately chose not to accept it.
Many witnesses testified throughout the trial, including individuals who found the victims’ remains, officers involved in the investigation, and experts in fingerprint comparison.
But Richard Rogers’ killer choose not to speak up in court and remained silent the entire time.
Due to the similarities to the other murders, even though he was never formally charged with the deaths of Peter Anderson and Michael Sakara, their cases were examined in court.
In contrast, the trial forbade any mention of the 1988 attack or the murders of Frederic Spencer and John Pierro.
The jury deliberated for three hours and 45 minutes before reaching a decision in November 2005, which changed the murderer of Richard Rogers to be shamefaced on all counts.
Unexpectedly, he stayed cool as the decision was made, keeping his gaze fixed on the front of the court.