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The Rogers Family Murders: A Note That Caught a Killer

When three women from the same family were murdered, a small scrap of paper would eventually ensure their evil killer paid for his crime.

Verity Partington
8 min readMay 30, 2022
Jo, Michelle and Christe Rogers, murdered in 1989

It was the spring of 1989, and Jo Rogers and her two daughters Michelle and Christe were taking a well-deserved road trip to the Sunshine State.

However, little could they know that as they watched the sun set over Tampa a few days into their vacation, they had already set a date with a dangerous and sadistic individual. This is the story of the Rogers family murders — and the vital forensic evidence that helped catch their killer.

The trip of a lifetime

Jo and Hal Rogers and their two daughters Michelle, 17, and Christe, 14, lived on a 300-acre dairy farm in rural Van Wert County in Ohio. Although they enjoyed the country life, the daily grind that went with farming meant they were ready for a break in the late spring of 1989.

When Jo suggested a trip to sun-drenched Florida, the two teenage girls were excited. This would be their first real vacation as a family, and it would give them the opportunity to visit some of the famous tourist attractions they had heard so much about.

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Verity Partington
Verity Partington

Written by Verity Partington

A writer and author of crime thrillers living in the UK. Partial to books, stationery, papercrafts and walking. You can find her books on Amazon here: https://a

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