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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.
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.