The Commission on Capital Cases updates thisinformation regularly.  This information; however, is subject to changeand may not reflect the latest status of an inmate’s case and should not berelied upon for statistical or legal purposes. 

RODGERS, Jeremiah (W/M)

DC#    123101

DOB: 04/19/77

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First Judicial Circuit, Santa Rosa County Case #9800274

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Paul Rasmussen

Attorney, Trial: David G. White – Private 

Attorney, Direct Appeal: Ryan Truskoski – Private

Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Robert A. Harper – Registry

Date of Offense: 05/07/98

Date of Sentence: 11/21/00

Date of Resentence: 06/20/07

Circumstances of Offense:

On 05/08/98, Jonathan Lawrence took Jeremiah Rodgers to pickup Jennifer Robinson from her mother’s house to take her out on a date. The following day, Robinson’s mother contacted the police to report her daughtermissing, since she never returned from her date with Rodgers.

Police also received a phone call from Rodgers’ brother,Elijah.  Rodgers had told Elijah what happened on the date withRobinson.  He told him that Lawrence had shot Robinson and he had Polaroidpictures of her dead body to prove it.  Elijah told the police thatLawrence was responsible for the murder.  Police arrested Lawrence andthen arrested Rodgers.

In Rodgers’ original statement, he said Lawrence planned topick up his girlfriend to join them on the date.  Lawrence never went tohis girlfriend’s house.  Instead, he drove out into the woods.  Whileparked in the woods, the three drank alcohol and Rodgers and Lawrencesupposedly both had sex with Robinson.  At one point, Rodgers walked awayto go to the bathroom. He heard a gunshot and went back to the truck.  Hesaw Robinson dead and Lawrence with a gun.  Robinson had been shot in theback of the head.

Rodgers and Lawrence then took Robinson’s body further intothe woods. They mutilated her calf, removing the muscle and cut her forehead.They took turns posing with Robinson’s mutilated body and took Polaroidpictures.  Rodgers and Lawrence attempted to burn Robinson’s body but wereunsuccessful and buried her remains.

The removed portion of Robinson’s leg was later found in afreezer at Lawrence’s house.  At Lawrence’s house, police also discoveredbooks describing human anatomy and surgery, a hand gun and some of the Polaroidpictures.

Later, Rodgers confessed he was the one who shotRobinson.  He pled guilty to all counts and was sentenced to death on11/21/00.

Codefendant Information:

Jonathan Lawrence FSC# 00-1827

Codefendant Jonathan Lawrence was convicted and sentenced todeath for the murder of Jennifer Robinson.  He was also convicted ofconspiracy to commit murder, providing alcoholic beverages to a minor and abuseof a human corpse.  His prosecution was conducted separately in the FirstCircuit Court of Santa Rosa County.

Additional Information:

Rodgers was convicted of two other crimes he committed withLawrence.  Rodgers was found guilty of attempted murder for shootingLeighton Smitherman in 1998.  He was also convicted of murderingLawrence’s mentally disabled cousin, Justin Livingston, whose body was foundburied at the same location as Robinson’s body.  Rodgers pled guilty tothe murder charge and was sentenced to life.

Prior Incarceration History in the State of Florida:

Trial Summary:

06/04/98         Indicted as follows:

                                   Count I:           Conspiracyto Commit First-Degree Murder

                                   Count II:         Supplying Alcohol toa Minor

                                   Count III:        First-Degree Murder(Jennifer Robinson)

                                   Count IV:        Abuse of a HumanCorpse     

07/24/00         Rodgers entered a plea of guilty on all counts of the indictment.

08/04/00         Jury recommended death by a vote of 9 to 3.

11/21/00         Sentenced as follows:

CountI:           Conspiracy toCommit First-Degree Murder – 18Y 6 M 8D

                                         Count II:         SupplyingAlcohol to a Minor – Time Served

CountIII:        First -Degree Murder (JenniferRobinson) – Death

CountIV:        Abuse of Human Corpse – 15Y 0M 0D

06/20/07         Resentenced to death.

10/12/07         Jury vote “waived.”

Appeal Summary:

Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal

FSC# 01,185

934 So. 2d 1207

01/25/01         Appeal filed

11/24/04         FSC affirmed conviction and sentence

06/29/06         Rehearing granted

06/29/06         FSC affirmed conviction, reversed sentence, and remanded for a new sentencinghearing

09/26/06         Mandate issued

United States Supreme Court – Petition for Writ ofCertiorari

USSC# 06-6858

549 U.S. 1080

09/27/06          Petition filed

12/04/06          Petition denied

Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal, Resentencing

FSC# 07-1652

3 So.3d 1127

09/04/07         Appeal filed

01/08/09         Oral Arguments held

02/05/09         Sentence affirmed

02/26/09         Mandate issued

Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition ofSentence:

The Direct Appeal was pending from 01/25/01 – 09/26/06.

Case Information:

On 01/25/01, Rodgers filed a Direct Appeal in the FloridaSupreme Court. In his Direct Appeal, Rodgers contended that evidence related tothe codefendant’s obsession with killing and possession of killingparaphernalia was erroneously excluded from the trial.  Rodgers alsoargued that, since his case had such a great amount of mitigation, the deathsentence was unconstitutional and the sentencing judge erroneously ignored themitigating evidence.  Rodgers argued that his right to confrontation wasviolated.  He also argued that he was erroneously absent from aconversation his attorney had with the judge regarding his plea and that hisattorney erroneously told the judge of his lack of preparation to proceed inthe case.  Rodgers’ final arguments were that the state erroneouslyintroduced evidence of a conviction for a prior violent felony made by a judgewho should have recused himself, reversal is required under Ring v. Arizona,and that he was forcibly medicated to be tried and sentenced, which violatedthe Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. On 11/24/04, the Florida Supreme Courtaffirmed Rodgers’ convictions and reversed his sentence of death.  On06/29/06, the Florida Supreme Court granted rehearing and issued a new opinion,in which it affirmed the conviction, reversed the sentence, and remanded for anew sentencing hearing.  Rodgers was resentenced to death on 06/20/07.

Rodgers filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in theUnited States Supreme Court on 09/27/06. The petition was denied on 12/04/06.

On 09/04/07, Rodgers filed an appeal for resentencing to theFlorida Supreme Court citing the following issues: (1) the trial court erredwhen it failed to require a new competency hearing before the defendant waivedhis right to a jury sentencing recommendation and instructed his attorney notto present mitigation; and (2) the trial court erred in deciding that death wasthe appropriate sentence, given the unparalleled mitigation in this case andthe fact that the defendant was only an accomplice.  On 02/05/09, theFlorida Supreme Court affirmed the death sentence by the lower court.  On02/26/09, the Florida Supreme Court issued a mandate.

Institutional Adjustment:

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Report Date:  09/28/06          DDK

Updated:        12/07/10         EMJ