Police say husband held knife to wife’s neck in January. Their bodies were found Monday.
SafeHaven of Tarrant County officials have periodic meetings where they often discuss the latest domestic violence homicides, and during these discussions a pattern has emerged, said Kathryn Jacob, SafeHaven president and chief executive officer.
Usually, no one at the meeting knows the victim, Jacob said.
SafeHaven is dedicated to providing services to domestic violence victims and provides 24-hour care at two emergency shelters in Tarrant County.
The latest Tarrant County woman who authorities believe was killed by her abuser was Alyssa Rogers, a 24-year-old native of the Philippines whose body was found stuffed in a garage freezer in her husband’s Arlington home, according to court records. The case was mentioned at the last SafeHaven meeting
“I can’t confirm that she was seen at SafeHaven or by anyone else, but no one said they knew her,” Jacob said. “Research and evidence indicate that the people who reach out for services, those are the lives that are saved.”
Police knew about Alyssa Rogers and her husband, Edward Leon Rogers Jr.
Edward Rogers, 66, was found dead at the same house where Arlington officers found his wife’s body, in the 5200 block of Livermore Drive, on Monday. Edward Rogers was found in the bedroom and died from a gunshot wound to the head, investigators reported. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a suicide. The cause of her death has not been released pending an autopsy.
According to a search warrant obtained by Arlington police, a friend told officers that Edward Rogers confessed to murdering his wife and later showed him her frozen remains.
Police had visited the home several times before, according to Arlington police records. On Jan. 14, police reported that Alyssa Rogers had been strangled by her husband, who also held a knife to her throat. The report indicated that Alyssa Rogers never lost consciousness during this attack.
“When subject was identified he was found to have outstanding warrants for domestic assault,” the report said.
On Oct. 11, police were at the residence to arrest Edward Rogers for domestic assault, but this time the report said Alyssa Rogers lost consciousness during the incident. Edward Rogers was facing a charge of assault of a family member, impeding breath and circulation, resulting from that call, court records show.
Edward Rogers was scheduled to plead guilty in open court later this month, but all the cases against him were dismissed on Wednesday due to his death.
Power and control
Jacob said she could not say whether Alyssa Rogers was in a situation where her immigration status was being used against her. Alyssa Rogers and Edward Rogers had a child together, and at some point during the relationship, she took the child to the Philippines and left him there, according to the search warrant.
But it is not uncommon for an abuser to use a person’s immigration status to exert control over their victims, Jacob said. Domestic violence is all about power and control, she said.
“If you marry someone from this country and that person has control over your passport, that can be incredibly isolating,” Jacob said.
Edward Rogers told his friend that he was expecting to go to prison due to his guilty plea to the assault charge and his extensive criminal history, the warrant said. Apparently, Alyssa Rogers would soon be free from her husband’s influence.
“Research tells us that the most dangerous time for a victim is when she or he leaves their abuser,” said Allenna Bangs, chief of the intimate partner violence team of the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.
“Contacting law enforcement and prosecuting intimate partner violence is one of the most important steps in breaking the cycle of violence and holding defendants accountable for their actions,” she said.
SafeHaven of Tarrant County workers are prohibited from asking about a person’s immigration status, and will not turn people who need services away, regardless of their immigration status, their sexual orientation or their gender, Jacob said.
“You are better off if you reach out,” Jacob said. “Survivors often do not believe the system is here for them.”
The Texas Human Services Commission maintains a statewide list of approved shelters that are prohibited from turning someone over to law enforcement regardless of their immigration status, Jacob said.
“There can be no barriers to entry,” Jacob said.
On Oct. 5, 2017, a photo was uploaded to Alyssa Roger’s Facebook page which said, “Sometimes it feels better not to talk. At all. About anything. To anyone.”
On Oct. 27 of that same year, another photo was posted to Alyssa Roger’s timeline that said: “All I want to do right now is cry and scream and let it all out because it’s killing me inside.”
The SafeHaven 24-hour hotline number is 1-877-701-7233 (SAFE). For more information, visit safehaventc.org.
This story was originally published August 2, 2019 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Police say husband held knife to wife’s neck in January. Their bodies were found Monday.."
