Trial begins next week for Rogers

PALMER — The murder trial of Christopher Erin Rogers Jr. is set to start next week.

Rogers, 29, is charged with 12 counts, including a murder, in Palmer. He is accused of killing his father, Christopher Erin Rogers Sr., and seriously wounding his father’s fiancé, Elann Moren, with a machete Dec. 2, 2007.

In Anchorage, Rogers is defendant in a different case, in which he faces 10 charges, also including murder, stemming from the same incident. Prosecutors there allege that after he left Palmer he drove to Anchorage and used a gun to kill Jason Wenger, 27, and wound two others.

Lawyers in the Palmer case met Tuesday to clear up issues leading up to the trial, which is scheduled to begin Wednesday.

Tuesday’s hearing was delayed an hour as officers tried to persuade Rogers to leave his Anchorage jail cell for Palmer. Citing difficulty in bringing Rogers to court that afternoon, Palmer District Attorney Roman Kalytiak asked Superior Court Judge Kari Kristiansen for an order telling prison guards to use force if necessary to bring Rogers to court.

“They had to use persuasion to get Mr. Rogers to come to Palmer today, but they didn’t use force,” Kalytiak said.

Court service officers said they tried three times to get him out of his cell over the previous few days. Rogers only complied, an officer testified, after being threatened with pepper spray.

Rogers’ attorney, John Richard, opposed Kalytiak’s motion.

“[Rogers] believed that his appearance was not mandatory today for this particular hearing,” Richard said. “Once he was told that he needed to be here he complied, I believe, without incident.”

For his part, Rogers said in court that at times officers trying to coax him from his cell have told him they can’t compel him to leave and, if that’s the case, “I’ll just stay in my cell.”

Kristiansen said she didn’t think the order was necessary but made sure Rogers knew he was required to appear.

“Whatever judicial services or transport officers tell you … I have told you that you need to come,” Kristiansen said.

Rogers nodded.

Lawyers also discussed matters relating to Rogers’ competency to stand trial.

Having spoken to Rogers, Richard told Kristiansen, “My experience with the Alaska Psychiatric Institute and competency evaluations would not lead me to any other conclusion but that he would be found competent.”

Kristiansen was filling in for Judge Vanessa White, who will preside over the trial.

Rogers is next due in court Monday for a pre-trial conference. Lawyers plan to begin selecting a jury Tuesday, with the trial to commence soon after. According to court records, Judge White has set aside the better part of three weeks for the trial.

The murder charges he faces carry a possible sentence of 99 years in prison.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.