Rogers Extradited to Florida to Stand Trial

Accused serial killer Glen Rogers, whose first alleged victim was slain in Van Nuys, was extradited Wednesday from Kentucky to Tampa, Fla., to stand trial.

Rogers has been accused of killing women in four states, and California, Louisiana and Florida all wanted to put him on trial. Authorities in Mississippi also have a murder charge pending but decided to await action by the other states.

Gov. Paul Patton of Kentucky, where Rogers was caught in November, granted the Florida request on the grounds that that state had the strongest case.

Only the Florida prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty, and Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles promised to send Rogers to the other states for trial if he escapes execution there.

Rogers, 33, was transferred Wednesday from Madison County Jail in Kentucky to the Morgan Street Jail in Tampa, having lost his fight Tuesday in the Kentucky Court of Appeal against the extradition order.

Rogers’ attorney, Madison County Public Defender Ernie Lewis, had argued that Rogers does not deserve the death penalty because he is mentally ill.

Lewis, who said he will not continue as Rogers’ attorney, wanted Rogers tried in California, where Rogers is accused of killing Sandra Gallagher of Santa Monica Sept. 29 after picking her up in a Van Nuys bar.

Rogers, charged in Florida with first-degree murder, armed robbery and auto theft, makes his first appearance in Judge Walter Heinrich’s courtroom today on closed-circuit television.

Florida officials say Rogers killed Tina Marie Cribbs, 34, whose body was found in Rogers’ Tampa hotel room Nov. 7.

A Florida state fingerprint investigator testified in the Kentucky extradition hearing that Rogers’ prints matched those found in the murder investigation. Rogers was allegedly driving Cribbs’ stolen car when he was captured by Kentucky state police in a high-speed chase near Richmond Nov. 13.