Children of slain woman get some satisfaction with first-degree murder verdict

Kim Smith

Friday, Sept. 20, 2002 | 9:23 a.m.

Shirley Rogers, a widower, raised six children. They grew up and became a teacher, a social worker, a nurse and volunteers in the community.

"When her kids were gone, she looked for the opportunity to help someone else," said Chip Rogers, one of her sons.

On Thursday, Brett Jones, the young man she chose to help, agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison for her murder.

After a jury came back with a first-degree murder conviction Thursday afternoon, Jones decided he didn't want to risk getting the death penalty.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, victim over 65, and robbery, victim over 65.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Jones will receive two no-parole life sentences. District Judge Valorie Vega must decide if Jones should serve his robbery sentence of four to 30 years concurrently or if he should serve the terms consecutively.

His formal sentencing will be held Nov. 7.

All six of Rogers' children have spent the last two weeks watching Jones' trial. They sat side-by-side holding hands and blinking back tears as the verdicts were read Thursday.

Two came from Kansas. Another came from Virginia. One flew in from Louisiana and two others live here.

"We owed her that. Look at what she did for us," Tracy Arce, the baby of the family, said.

Rogers, 67, was beaten and strangled to death on Sept. 22, 2001, just weeks after she rescued Jones from a homeless shelter.

In exchange for the use of her truck and a room, Jones agreed to provide menial labor for Rogers when he wasn't working construction.

Jones, a Colorado native, was on probation for robbery.

Prosecutors said Jones killed Rogers when she decided to kick him out. Without a place to live, a vehicle or a job, Jones knew he would land in prison for violating his probation, they said.

After the verdict, Chief Deputy District Attorney Robert Daskas summed up the case:

"No act of kindness shall go unpunished. Brett Jones took that to new heights when he did what he did."

Jones' attorneys, however, said Jones was so drunk that night he didn't know what he was doing. Will Ewing and Joseph Abood, deputy public defenders, said he just "snapped."

Rogers was described by the defense as a manipulative and controlling woman who threatened to report her truck -- which was being driven by Jones -- stolen the night of her death if he didn't return home immediately.

The defense attorneys had hoped for a second-degree murder conviction.

Rogers' family described her as a loving and giving woman who doted on her children and seven grandchildren. A Virginia native, she loved to travel, they said.

They said it was clear to them that Jones "would say anything to save his life" -- even alleging he and Rogers were having an affair.

"He could say anything he wanted to, she's not here to defend herself," Chip Rogers said.

When Jones sobbed uncontrollably on the stand while testifying, Arce said it showed that "he was sorry for himself. Not once did he cry for her. Not once did he say he was sorry for what he did to her."

The family said they were pleased the jury saw that their mother's death was "no accident."

"It was very courageous, what they had to do," Arce said.