Rogers charged in cellmate killing

State Attorney William ABill= Eddins announced today that the Grand Jury of Santa Rosa County returned a two-count Indictment charging Shawn Rogers with first degree pre-meditated and/or felony murder with a weapon and armed kidnaping with a weapon.

 The charges arose from Rogers= attack of inmate Ricky D. Martin, 25, on March 30 in Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton. On that date, state prison correctional officers discovered Martin lying on his cell floor with extensive blunt trauma injuries to his head and face.

According to a press release from the state attorney, Rogers was Martin=s only cellmate on that date. Martin was found with his hands tied behind his back with torn strips of bed sheet, his feet also tied similarly, and a ligature of bed sheet around his neck. Martin=s pants and underwear were found pulled down around his knees.

Martin died on April 8 in Sacred Heart Hospital after being removed from life support. An autopsy examination by Medical Examiner Andrea Minyard revealed that Martin=s death was due to blunt force trauma to his brain and the manner of death was ruled homicide. 

For the complete story, see the Sept. 13 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.