Shawn Rogers Indicted for 1st Degree Pre-Meditated Murder
State Attorney William “Bill’ Eddins announced today that the Grand Jury of Santa Rosa County returned a two-count Indictment charging Shawn Rogers with First Degree Pre-Meditated and/or Felony Murder with a Weapon and Armed Kidnaping with a Weapon.
The charges arose from Rogers’ attack of inmate Ricky D. Martin (W/M, DOB 6/11/1987) in Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton, Florida on March 30, 2012.
On that date, state prison correctional officers discovered Martin lying on his cell floor with extensive blunt trauma injuries to his head and face. Rogers was Martin’s only cell mate on that date. Martin was found with his hands tied behind his back with torn strips of bed sheet, his feet also tied similarly, and a ligature of bed sheet around his neck.
Martin’s pants and underwear were found pulled down around his knees. Martin was taken by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital from the prison where he was treated for brain injuries and cuts to his left and right arms. Martin never regained consciousness and was unresponsive at all times after being found on the cell floor by corrections officers.
Martin died on April 8, 2012 in Sacred Heart Hospital after being removed from life support. An autopsy examination by medical examiner, Andrea Minyard revealed that Martin’s death was due to blunt force trauma to his brain and the manner of death was ruled homicide.
Rogers is currently serving a life sentence for Armed Robbery and Aggravated Battery from Volusia County.
The investigation into the death of Martin was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Corrections with the assistance of the State Attorney’s Office.
The State Attorney’s Office has announced that it’s Capital Case Review Committee has met and decided that the State Attorney will seek the Death Penalty for the charge of First Degree Murder.
The case will be handled by ASA Robert C. “Bobby” Elmore. He may be contacted for any additional information or questions at 850-689-7820.
