MICHAEL ROGERS - 16 yo - (2010) Etowah (S of Asheville) NC

ETOWAH — The body of
Michael Rogers, a missing Transylvania County teen, was found around
noon today, Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said.
Transylvania County Sheriff's
deputies searched for the 16-year-old throughout the night, Mahoney
said. Henderson County Sheriff's deputies and the State Bureau of
Investigation are also involved as the case has become
multi-jurisdictional, he added.It is unclear whether or not foul play is involved,
although it is not being ruled out at this time, the sheriff said.“It's
too early to go there yet, but we always suspect it until proven
otherwise,” Mahoney said. “The autopsy will tell the tale.”Authorities
went to the Pleasant Grove Road/Grove Bridge Road area in the Etowah
community because that is where the teenager indicated he was going in
a conversation with his mother prior to his disappearance Saturday
night, Mahoney said.The sheriff's office is treating the case a
a homicide, but more will be known when autopsy results come back.
Mahoney said the body has been scheduled for transport to the state
medical examiner's office, either in Winston-Salem or Chapel Hill.
“We should know more later on,” he said.
The boy was reported missing around 11 p.m. Saturday and his body was found
in the Blantyre community of Henderson County, he said. Sheriff's
deputies located Rogers in a hog field near the intersection of Grove
Bridge Road and Pleasant Grove Road in Henderson County, about a mile
from the Transylvania County line.

A body, possibly that of a missing Transylvania County teenager, was
found around mid-day Sunday near the Henderson-Transylvania County
line.

Transylvania County emergency dispatchers received a call at about
11 p.m. Saturday from the mother of 16-year-old Michael Rogers that he
was somewhere in the King Road area. After searching through the night,
a rescuer discovered a male body in the search area at about noon
Sunday, said Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney.


The body has not been identified, Mahoney said, noting that authorities
were still attempting to contact family members of the deceased.


“We are still investigating,” Mahoney said. “It's premature to say much
of anything; we have as many questions as you do.” An autopsy will be
conducted, he added.


By late Sunday afternoon, the search site, headquartered on Grove
Bridge Road, had been basically abandoned, save for a few members of
the local media. Evidence of the effort, however; remained, from water
bottles to crumpled crime scene tape resting on an embankment near the
French Broad River.


“I don't have any details (concerning the 911 call that launched the
search),” Mahoney said. “I haven't had the opportunity to hear the
tape.”


He also didn't know the address of the missing teenager, saying all he
did know was that the boy is a resident of Transylvania County.


Because the Blantyre community's proximity to Transylvania and
Henderson counties, both county sheriff's departments, as well as the
State Bureau of Investigation, are working together to determine what
happened.


Several organizations also contributed to the search, including the
Highway Patrol, Henderson County Sheriff's Department, SBI and Brevard
Rescue Squad.

“A lot of people” were out there, Mahoney said, estimating that 65-100 people contributed to the search.

Deputies from Transylvania and Henderson counties, along with N.C. SBI agents, are trying to find out what happened to a 16-year-old Saturday night.
Investigators say the teen – Michael Scott Rogers, 16, of Transylvania County -- called his mother Saturday night and told her he was hurt, but the phone disconnected during the call. During the call Rogers told his mother he was near King Road.
A search began Saturday night, with assistance from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Brevard Rescue Squad, the Little River Fire Department, the Etowah/Horse Shoe Fire Department and the N.C. SBI. On Sunday, deputies say they discovered Rogers’ body in a hog field.
The field is near Grove Bridge Road and Pleasant Grove Road in Henderson County.
Captain Kevin Creasman with the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office says they are treating the this case as a homicide. Deputies told us the autopsy is pending.

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, N.C. -- The Transylvania Co. Sheriff's Office has confirmed that a body found on a hog farm over the weekend is that of a missing teen.Michael
Rogers, 16, was reported missing at about 11 p.m. on Saturday after he
failed to return home from a party, authorities said. Investigators are
treating the death as a homicide.According to the teen's mother,
Rogers had called her Saturday night and said he was somewhere near
Grove Bridge Road and was injured before the connection was lost.The
body was found around noon on Sunday near Grove Bridge Road in the
Blantyre community of Henderson County. The area is near the
Transylvania County line.An autopsy has been performed but the exact cause of death has not been released.Three
to five people are currently considered people of interest in this case
and could be charged in the future, according to Capt. Kevin Creasman
with the sheriff's office.The Transylvania County Sheriff's
Office, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office and the State Bureau of
Investigation are all investigating.

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, NC --

Deputies from Transylvania and Henderson counties, along with N.C. SBI agents, are trying to find out what happened to a 16 year old Saturday night.
Investigators say the teen – Michael Scott Rogers, 16, of Transylvania County
-- called his mother Saturday night, after he left a party, and told
her he was hurt, but the phone disconnected during the call. During the
call Rogers told his mother he was near King Road in Henderson County.
A search began Saturday night, with assistance from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Brevard Rescue Squad, the Little River Fire Department, the Etowah/Horse Shoe Fire Department and the N.C. SBI.
On Sunday, deputies say they discovered Rogers’ body in a hog field.
The field is near Grove Bridge Road and Pleasant Grove Road in Henderson County.
The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office says they are treating the this case as a homicide.
But they stress, they do not believe there is a public threat.
Furthermore, the Sheriff says they have identified all those at the party Rogers was at, and believe they know all those involved.
Deputies say they will have a better idea of how Rogers died, and will know better if charges will be filed, once the autopsy is complete. That is scheduled for Wednesday.
Here is a transcript of a portion of the 911 from Rogers' mother:
911: Communications?
Caller: Yes, I need the Sheriff’s Department. to meet me at the church on King Road.
911: At what church on King Road
Caller: I don’t know what church on King Road. It’s on King Road, it’s a church. I’m going.
911: Ok. Which end of king road are you on?
Caller: Which end of King Road? I have no idea… what?
911: Asheville Highway side or…
Caller: There was a fight down there.
911: Okay, at the Asheville Highway side or the…
Caller: I don’t know. I don’t know. My son called me. He’s extremely messed up. He can’t talk.

BREVARD -- Barbara Leonard was living a mother's worst nightmare. Her 16-year-old son,
Michael Rogers, called her three times Saturday night in tears, lost
and panicked and bleeding, saying "they" were going to kill him.
After a frantic search, police found Rogers' body Sunday in a field off Grove Bridge Road in
Henderson County. A friend told the Times-News that a fight had broken
out at a party Saturday night over girls and drugs, and police are
treating Rogers' death as a homicide.
The Transylvania and Henderson county sheriff's offices are conducting a
joint investigation. Rogers' body has been sent to Winston-Salem for an
autopsy, and those results will not be released until Wednesday.
"We handle all suspicious deaths as a homicide, and this is a suspicious death,"
Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said.
Friends and family said Rogers was a good kid who had started down the wrong
road. Leonard said her son had a drug problem, particularly with
prescription medication. He was kicked out of Rosman High School
earlier in the year after being caught with drugs. She contacted the
Department of Social Services and other agencies, trying to get help
for her son.
"I knew he was in trouble," Leonard said. "He was hanging out with people who were older and they were not a good influence."
She believes her son was under the influence of drugs when he called Saturday night.
"From the sound on the phone, he was not in good shape," Leonard said, adding he was "crying and upset."
The second call came in and Rogers was in a panic.
"He said they were going to kill him and he needed help," said Rogers' stepfather, Robert Leonard.
He called a third time, saying he was bleeding.
"That last conversation, he was hurt and needed help," Leonard said.
In the 911 call, Leonard told a dispatcher that "He said he was extremely
messed up." She also said she didn't know his location or know who he
was with.
"He was crying. I know he was taking pills," she added.
Leonard urged police to go to King Road, where there had been a fight.
"We would like to have him committed," was the last thing she told the dispatcher.
Anthony Stanley, 18, was a friend of Rogers. A party took place Saturday night
with two carloads of people and a fight broke out over "girls and
drugs," he said. He described Rogers as a good kid and not somebody he
thought would cause problems.
"It shouldn't of been him," Stanley said. "He stuck to himself like me."
Mahoney said investigators are aware the party took place but said it was
"premature at this point" to name anyone as a person interest.
"We have identified the folks we believe were at the party," Mahoney said.
"We know who their folks were, and we continue to interview them."
Allen Whitmire had lived at the house where the party took place for a period
of time. He said the kid who hosted the party "is a good kid" and he
did not believe he was involved in the incident. Whitmire said the
kid's father is a long-haul truck driver, and there is no parental
supervision "for up to a week" at the home.
Brett Sisk was friends with
Rogers in elementary and middle school, but the two had drifted apart
in recent years. Rogers was a good person, but he started down the
wrong path at an early age, Sisk said. He was not aware that Rogers had
a problem with prescription medication but knew he smoked marijuana
often.
He said Rogers had a good temperament, but would fight back if threatened.
"He was pretty much chill," he said. "He took things real personal when things were close to him."
Leonard also said her son was a good kid with a gentle personality who enjoyed
riding motocross bikes and doing outdoor activities.
"He was very quiet," she said. "He was outgoing. He loved football. He played until he was 13."

Missed by many
Rogers was enrolled this school year at Rosman High, according to a statement
released by Transylvania County Public Schools Superintendent Jeff
McDaris and Director of Secondary Education Dr. Scott Elliott.
The teen had friends at several schools in Transylvania County and "will be
missed greatly by both students and staff," the release stated.
Crisis counselors and social workers were in place Monday at several county
schools and were expected to be available to students for the remainder
of the week. Students needing additional counseling and support will be
referred to a partner mental health service agency, administrative
officials said.
"Our condolences go out to Michael's family and friends at this difficult time," the release stated.

BREVARD — The investigation into the death of a
16-year-old Transylvania County boy focused Tuesday on people at a
party with the teen just before he was killed.


Sheriff David Mahoney said detectives believe they have been able to
interview everyone who was at the party with Michael Rogers at a
residence off Holliday Drive in the Blantyre community Saturday night.“We're
trying to learn what exactly was going on at that party,” said Mahoney,
declining to elaborate on what investigators have learned.The
sheriff also wouldn't comment on statements by the victim's mother,
Barbara Leonard, that her son was involved in a fight at the party
before he was killed.Mahoney
said he wanted to wait on the preliminary results of an autopsy, which
could be available today, before saying anything further about the
details of the investigation or the cause of death.“I don't know if we're far along enough to say anybody is a suspect,” he said.But
Leonard said she learned from her son in cell phone calls about 11 p.m.
Saturday that he was injured and in desperate need of help in the
vicinity of King Road near Blantyre Baptist Church.“When he called me, he could hardly talk,” she said. “He was hysterical and screaming and begging us for help.”Leonard
called the Sheriff's Office, asking that deputies meet her at the
church. She told a dispatcher she was with her son's father and
stepfather and they were trying to find him.That
kicked off a search that resulted in the discovery of Rogers' body
around 11 a.m. Sunday in a hog field just off Grove Bridge Road, about
a mile from the party and across the French Broad River in Henderson
County.Leonard,
of Brevard, said she was told by investigators that the fight started
in the area of the house party, but the altercation “carried on for a
little while to a different location.”Leonard declined to comment on what she's been told about the nature of her son's injuries or who might have killed him.But
she believes her son had been running with the wrong crowd. Leonard
said he was expelled from Rosman High about three weeks ago after he
was caught with pills.
The teen had been treated for substance abuse at Alliance Crisis Services in Brevard, she said.
“I knew that he had experimented with pills,” Leonard said. “I had
recently found out he was hanging out with some people that were not
the type he needed to be around. Every time he went around whoever
these people were, then he had something on him when he came back
messed up.”Rogers was arrested in January on three misdemeanor drug possession charges, according to court records.The
day before he died, Rogers posted a status update on his Myspace page,
writing “I don't give a damn” and saying he was “free alone struggling.”On his profile, Rogers indicated that he had been in and out of hospitals and was taking medication.“I
get hurt a lot,” he said. “I put myself down all the time. I've been in
two mental hospitals. I tried to kill myself. I'm on meds that help,
thank God,” he wrote in his profile description.Rogers
said on his profile that his interests included football, riding dirt
bikes, listening to music and partying. Under a section where users can
post their heroes, Rogers cited his dad, brother and “the little
friends I do have.”In December and again in February, Rogers posted that he had been kicked out of school.On Feb. 7, he wrote that he “got busted” and was “up sometime [to] have some fun.”“He was a very good kid,” his mother told the Citizen-Times. “He was very tender-hearted.“He was a normal 16-year-old, and just got with the wrong crowd.”

BREVARD — A Transylvania County teen found dead in a
field suffered abrasions but no apparent injuries serious enough to
have killed him, a medical examiner said Wednesday.
With temperatures dipping to the mid-20s early Sunday, Michael
Rogers, 16, may have died from hypothermia, but a definitive cause of
death won't be determined until toxicology results come back. That
could take several weeks, said Dr. Amy Durso, a forensic pathologist at
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.“There were some minor bruises and contusions over his body, but nothing severe enough to explain his death,” Durso said.Rogers’
autopsy took place Wednesday. Investigators are handling the case as a
homicide. Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney could not be
reached for comment on the autopsy results.The investigation into the death of Rogers focused Tuesday on people at a party with the teen just before he was killed.Mahoney
has said detectives believe they have interviewed everyone who was at
the Saturday night party with Rogers at a residence off Holliday Drive
in the Blantyre community.Rogers’ mother, Barbara Leonard, has said that her son was involved in a fight at the party. She could not be reached Wednesday.Earlier
she said she learned from her son in cell phone calls about 11 p.m.
Saturday that he was injured and in desperate need of help in the
vicinity of King Road near Blantyre Baptist Church.“When he called me, he could hardly talk,” she said. “He was hysterical and screaming and begging us for help.”Searchers
found Rogers' body around 11 a.m. Sunday in a hog field just off Grove
Bridge Road, about a mile from the party and across the French Broad
River in Henderson County.

Where are the arrests in this case?

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/feb/21/13/body-found-after-nc-teen-disapears-ar-43417/

let's everyone email this reporter and ask for a follow up to michael's murder -

jcarlson@wspa.com

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/feb/22/teen-found-dead-21102-vi-6021/

check out the comments- what a tragic situation this is

Members: Please check the Members Only Room for a special message from someone close to this case.

please consider copying and pasting this email to the reporter -
jcarlson@wspa.com
i will follow up with links to the prosecutor and other media outlets tomorrow
-------------------------------

we began our forum with the quest for justice for Caylee Anthony. Why are there no follow up stories for his murder? Why are there no arrests yet? One of our members posted that the whole community knows what happened to him, but they are afraid to speak about it.

http://www.justice4caylee.org/murdered-children-f38/michael-rogers-16-yo-etowah-nc-t5090.htm

(i included the information in our members only room, XXX out the posters' name because I felt the reporter should know the feeling of the community )

-----------------------

you are the only one who reported this case that i can find. Won't you please follow up and tell us what is going on? I don't understand why there is no follow up to his murder. Thank you

Last weekend I heard a horrific story from a teenager from the tiny southern town of Rosman, NC, pop.500 (Transylvania County). When I tried to verify it this is the only site that told this story!!

Michael Rogers (age 16) was an unpopular teenager who had a history of using drugs, being in mental health hospitals, and being suicidal in the past. He was murdered but no one is facing any charges!

On the Saturday night near Valentine's day 2010 Mike apparently was at a party with local kids. Some kids beat him up, tied him up, put him in the back of a pickup. They wanted to kill him and drove him to a hog farm (with a creek) in the next county (Etowah in Henderson County). They beat him up more (his lower jaw was broken off) and left him unconscious and wet. He died from exposure in the creekbed.

How do we know this happened? Because he tried to call for help. He was terrified and aware they wanted to kill him. He first called an old girlfriend and begged her to come get him--but she was at the "Sweetheart dance" with another guy who didn't want her to go. Then he tried to call his mother again asking to be rescued from this group that wanted to kill him--but he didnt know quite where he was and his cell phone cut off while he was begging for help.

In the town off Rosman lots of people know what happened. One of the girls who watched this happen was apparently in love with him but didnt step in to stop it. Other kids are terrified that they are going to school with these killers. No one is even trying to cover it up. But no one has been charged or is facing any civil action.

Why not? Poor family, a small town where lots of people are stuck for life, the official cause of death was exposure rather than the blows, questions of jurisdiction, a mother who doesn't know how to advocate for him, a history of being suicidal and posting it on My Space, his mother's account that he was on drugs the night he was killed, intimidated witnesses, etc. I understand it could be a hard case to prosecute for murder 1. But battery, manslaughter...how hard could they be to prosecute with a party full of witnesses?? And suspects with big mouths and no fear of being charged. This is not justice.

If anyone can do anything to get some justice for Michael Rogers please help!!

Great job on the repost cc! This will bring more attention to this search for justice!
In some respects, this reminds me of a local case that's almost two years old.
https://justice4caylee.forumotion.net/murdered-children-f38/amanda-wienckowski-19-yo-2008-buffalo-ny-t3901.htm?highlight=amanda

If you read the background you will see that the victim had a less than angelic history, but because of that, is no reason to slough off the investigation into the death and the circumstances surrounding it.
Many feel that there was foul play in Amanda's demise and the family is still searching for answers.
They feel LE just made too may presumptions regarding her death, due to her past history,

please everyone, consider emailing this reporter - maybe if enough of us do, there will be a follow up

TIA

The latest news I can find. This was published August 26. It sounds like they are still investigating.
Autopsy of Transylvania County teenager doesn't pinpoint cause of death


by Clarke Morrison

BREVARD – A Transylvania County teenager found dead in a hog field was involved — and injured — in several altercations the night he died, according to an autopsy. Web Extras: Multimedia & Related Content
Michael Rogers autopsy report (54 KB)

County authorities, however, won't say whether they are treating the death of Michael Scott Rogers as a homicide.Rogers was still conscious when he was left on a bridge over the French Broad River, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said.The mud-covered body of the 16-year-old was found in a nearby field on the Henderson County side of the river the morning of Feb. 21.The final autopsy report doesn't point to a definitive cause of death. It states the victim suffered hypothermia after enduring temperatures that night in the lower 20s.Rogers also had blunt force trauma injuries to the scalp, face, chest, back, arms and legs, but the injuries primarily were abrasions and bruises, and there was no evidence of internal injuries, according to the report.The examination found alcohol, caffeine and an antidepressant in his blood. The report also states Rogers aspirated his stomach contents into his lungs.The conclusion in the report that the victim was “involved in several altercations” that night appears to bolster the claims of his mother, Barbara Leonard, of Brevard, that he was involved in a fight at a party the night he died.Investigators have declined to discuss the possibility of an altercation involving Rogers, but Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said earlier that detectives interviewed people who were at a party with Rogers at a residence off Holliday Drive in the Blantyre community the night before he was found.Leonard said she learned from her son in cell phone calls that night he was injured and in desperate need of help in the vicinity of King Road near Blantyre Baptist Church.“He was hysterical and screaming and begging us for help,” she said.The mother called the Sheriff's Office, kicking off a search that resulted in the discovery of Rogers' body the next morning in a field just off Grove Bridge Road, about a mile from the party and across the French Broad River in Henderson County.Leonard said she was told by investigators that the fight started in the area of the house party, but the altercation “carried on for a little while to a different location.”Lt. Brian Kreigsman of the Transylvania Sheriff's Office declined Wednesday to discuss details of the case. He said the investigation into Rogers' death is continuing.“We are ensuring that our investigation is as thorough as possible,” Kreigsman said. “We're attempting to collect all the facts, and at some point the evidence will be presented to the District Attorney's Office.”A preliminary autopsy report indicated the death was considered a homicide.
http://m.citizentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010308260024

Does anybody know who took this boy out to the hog farm? If he was hurt and they left him there, shouldn't they at least be charged with criminally negligent homicide? This poor child no longer suffers, but his mother must be living a real nightmare.

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/feb/21/13/body-found-after-nc-teen-disapears-ar-43417/

let's everyone email this reporter and ask for a follow up to michael's murder -

jcarlson@wspa.com

reposting this - please consider emailing this reporter for a follow up story -

http://www.tcsonc.org/index.htm


Sheriff David Mahoney

Toxicology Results Return For Teen Found Dead In Henderson Co. Hog Field



By staff
Published: August 16, 2010
» 4 Comments | Post a CommentToxicology results for a teen found in a Henderson County hog field in Feb. 2010, returned from examiners Monday, showing the presence of alcohol, caffeine and sertraline in his system.Sertraline is the chemical name for the drug known as Zoloft.In February, examiners in Winston-Salem told News Channel 7 in February they suspected the teen -- Michael Scott Rogers, 16, of Transylvania County -- died from hypothermia after they performed an autopsy.Examiners found minor bruises and abrasions but say these injuries would not cause death.Investigators say the teen called his mother Saturday night, after he left a party, and told her he was hurt, but the phone disconnected during the call. During the call Rogers told his mother he was near King Road in Henderson County.A search began Saturday night, with assistance from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Brevard Rescue Squad, the Little River Fire Department, the Etowah/Horse Shoe Fire Department and the N.C. SBI.On Sunday, deputies say they discovered Rogers’ body in a hog field near Grove Bridge Road and Pleasant Grove Road in Henderson County.The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office says they are treating this case as a homicide.But they stress, however, they do not believe there is a public threat.News Channel 7 obtained a transcript of the 911 call from Rogers’ mother.Here is a portion of that transcript:911: Communications?Caller: Yes, I need the Sheriff’s Department. to meet me at the church on King Road.911: At what church on King RoadCaller: I don’t know what church on King Road. It’s on King Road, it’s a church. I’m going.911: Ok. Which end of king road are you on?Caller: Which end of King Road? I have no idea… what?911: Asheville Highway side or…Caller: There was a fight down there.911: Okay, at the Asheville Highway side or the…Caller: I don’t know. I don’t know. My son called me. He’s extremely messed up. He can’t talk.http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/aug/16/toxicology-results-return-teen-found-dead-henderso-ar-713185/------------------------------------------------- bbm - this article does say they are treating it as a homicide

TomTerrific0420 wrote:BREVARD — A Transylvania County teen found dead in a
field suffered abrasions but no apparent injuries serious enough to
have killed him, a medical examiner said Wednesday.
With temperatures dipping to the mid-20s early Sunday, Michael
Rogers, 16, may have died from hypothermia, but a definitive cause of
death won't be determined until toxicology results come back. That
could take several weeks, said Dr. Amy Durso, a forensic pathologist at
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.“There were some minor bruises and contusions over his body, but nothing severe enough to explain his death,” Durso said.Rogers’
autopsy took place Wednesday. Investigators are handling the case as a
homicide. Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney could not be
reached for comment on the autopsy results.The investigation into the death of Rogers focused Tuesday on people at a party with the teen just before he was killed.Mahoney
has said detectives believe they have interviewed everyone who was at
the Saturday night party with Rogers at a residence off Holliday Drive
in the Blantyre community.Rogers’ mother, Barbara Leonard, has said that her son was involved in a fight at the party. She could not be reached Wednesday.Earlier
she said she learned from her son in cell phone calls about 11 p.m.
Saturday that he was injured and in desperate need of help in the
vicinity of King Road near Blantyre Baptist Church.“When he called me, he could hardly talk,” she said. “He was hysterical and screaming and begging us for help.”Searchers
found Rogers' body around 11 a.m. Sunday in a hog field just off Grove
Bridge Road, about a mile from the party and across the French Broad
River in Henderson County.

Well, where are these toxicology reports?

Autopsy of Transylvania County teenager doesn't pinpoint cause of death
by Clarke Morrison
updated August 26, 2010 3:44 pm

BREVARD – A Transylvania County teenager found dead in a hog field was involved — and injured — in several altercations the night he died, according to an autopsy.

Adobe Acrobat PDF Michael Rogers autopsy report (54 KB)


County authorities, however, won't say whether they are treating the death of Michael Scott Rogers as a homicide.

Rogers was still conscious when he was left on a bridge over the French Broad River, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said.

The mud-covered body of the 16-year-old was found in a nearby field on the Henderson County side of the river the morning of Feb. 21.

The final autopsy report doesn't point to a definitive cause of death. It states the victim suffered hypothermia after enduring temperatures that night in the lower 20s.

Rogers also had blunt force trauma injuries to the scalp, face, chest, back, arms and legs, but the injuries primarily were abrasions and bruises, and there was no evidence of internal injuries, according to the report.

The examination found alcohol, caffeine and an antidepressant in his blood. The report also states Rogers aspirated his stomach contents into his lungs.

The conclusion in the report that the victim was “involved in several altercations” that night appears to bolster the claims of his mother, Barbara Leonard, of Brevard, that he was involved in a fight at a party the night he died.

Investigators have declined to discuss the possibility of an altercation involving Rogers, but Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said earlier that detectives interviewed people who were at a party with Rogers at a residence off Holliday Drive in the Blantyre community the night before he was found.

Leonard said she learned from her son in cell phone calls that night he was injured and in desperate need of help in the vicinity of King Road near Blantyre Baptist Church.

“He was hysterical and screaming and begging us for help,” she said.

The mother called the Sheriff's Office, kicking off a search that resulted in the discovery of Rogers' body the next morning in a field just off Grove Bridge Road, about a mile from the party and across the French Broad River in Henderson County.

Leonard said she was told by investigators that the fight started in the area of the house party, but the altercation “carried on for a little while to a different location.”

Lt. Brian Kreigsman of the Transylvania Sheriff's Office declined Wednesday to discuss details of the case. He said the investigation into Rogers' death is continuing.

“We are ensuring that our investigation is as thorough as possible,” Kreigsman said. “We're attempting to collect all the facts, and at some point the evidence will be presented to the District Attorney's Office.”

A preliminary autopsy report indicated the death was considered a homicide
http://m.citizentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010308260024

these county authorities contradict themselves - i just don't understand this situation at all.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/rosman-nc/TM8T61A1M21NM8I4A

boy, it seems everyone but the authorities know exactly what happened that night - where is the investigation into this?