Glen Rogers, infamously known as the “Casanova Killer,” was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m. on Wednesday, marking a significant moment in the ongoing discussion about capital punishment in the United States. His eventual execution occurred in Florida. This execution brought his total to the 16th inmate executed in the country this year and the fifth in Florida. Rogers, a native of Hamilton, Ohio, was on death row for murdering two women and a man—two in Ohio and one in South Dakota.
Rogers killed 34-year-old mother of two Tina Marie Cribbs. That horrific hate crime took place in a Tampa hotel bathtub on November 7, 1995. The two had met that evening at a bar in Minneapolis. This crime was just one of many that set his devilish legacy in motion. He was convicted of murdering five women around the country. This violent crime spree raged on through the mid-1990s.
A History of Violence
Rogers didn’t just focus on Cribbs, he was the murderer of other vulnerable women too. What connected each one was their vulnerability and his dirty charm. He abducted and killed 72-year-old retired electrician Mark Peters near Beattyville, Kentucky, in January 1994. Rogers lived for a time with Peters, who later moved to Louisiana. There, he killed 37-year-old mother of four Andy Lou Jiles Sutton just two days after killing Cribbs.
On November 3, 1995, Rogers violently ended the life of Linda Price, a 34-year-old mother of two in Jackson, Mississippi. Only weeks before, on September 28, 1995, he had killed Sandra Gallagher, a 33-year-old mother of three in Van Nuys, California. Each of these victims encountered Rogers directly prior to their untimely demises. From the banal to the terrible, it underscores his magical talents to seduce and dominate his prey.
The Final Moments
As the hour of his execution drew near, Glen Rogers delivered an unexpected last statement that stunned most of those on hand to witness it. His last words were directed toward former President Donald Trump:
“President Trump, keep making America great. I’m ready to go.”
This announcement stopped the hallowed clock in its tracks, and many left the room wondering what it really meant. One witness remarked, “I was like, ‘Where did that even come from?’” suggesting that Rogers’ choice of words was unexpected given the gravity of the situation.
Rogers’ final moments were accompanied by a grotesque tranquility. First, he is quoted as saying that he knew people would be asking why he did what he did and what made him do it. “I understand there’s all these questions you want answered,” he said just before being executed, according to witness accounts of his last statement.
The Broader Context of Capital Punishment
The execution of Glen Rogers further complicates and adds to the narrative and discourse surrounding the debate on capital punishment in the United States. Still, its many proponents claim that it functions as a vital deterrent to the most monstrous crimes. As one anonymous supporter said, our cities, states, and country have depended on capital punishment since the founding of the United States. They think it’s a perfect deterrent and the only fitting punishment for life’s worst offenses.
The practice is still incendiary and stirs ethical concerns related to justice and morality. States are still in the midst of an active debate over whether to adopt, maintain, or eliminate the death penalty. Stories like Glen Rogers’ illustrate the story behind these challenging decisions.
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