Juror Harry Roberts said for him, that decision was not difficult. For him, the verdict came down to this: “We just couldn’t put the hammer in his hand and there was no evidence he was really in the house,” he said.
Meaning the jury agreed Jimmy Rodgers didn’t deserve to die for his role in the murder of Teresa Sievers. So no first-degree murder conviction and no conspiracy.
“You have the life of, not just the life that was taken, responsibility to them, but you also have a responsibility because you’re holding someone else’s life in your hands too, so it can’t be taken lightly,” said Roberts.
...snipped.....
Weighing the evidence and the testimonies, trying to get into the heads of Rodgers’ ex-girlfriend Taylor Shomaker and another suspect in the murder, Wayne Wright.
Roberts said he had a tough time deciding who was telling the truth.
“It was really difficult because there was a lot of emotion going on,” he said.
Roberts said he thinks Rodgers knew what he was getting into, but doesn’t think he planned it with Wright and Sievers’ husband, Mark.
Juror Harry Roberts (WINK News)
“So we were looking for ways he was linked and with all the evidence that was given, like I said, it was the coveralls and his actions that, trying to get rid of evidence is basically what convicted him of it,” he said.