Ex-Utahn killed in apparent love triangle in Virginia; suspect a leader in fiance's LDS ward
By Russ Rizzo The Salt Lake Tribune
Posted: 7:24 PM- The father of a former Utahn says jealousy over a woman was the motive in the death of his son, allegedly gunned down by a Mormon Elders Quorum counselor.
Police arrested John P. Bloxham, 41, of Alexandria, Va., and charged him with the murder of 31-year-old Todd Rogers, who grew up in Salt Lake City.
David Rogers, of Crofton, M.D., said his son planned to announce his engagement to his girlfriend on Sunday. As Todd Rogers was driving to his home in Manassas, Va., from her house Saturday night, Bloxham, a co-worker of the fiance and Elders Quorum counselor at her Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward, confronted him, according to police.
Police said Bloxham and Todd Rogers argued inside Rogers' Chevrolet Avalanche, then Bloxham shot Rogers with a handgun. Bloxham jumped out of the truck, and it crashed into another car in a Beacon Hill neighborhood, police said. Bloxham then allegedly fled the scene.
A neighbor responding to the crash offered Rogers help, and he gave the neighbor his parents' telephone number, David Rogers said.
"Tell my mother I've been shot," Todd Rogers reportedly told the neighbor, according to David Rogers. Then, Todd Rogers reportedly said, "It was John."
Police later arrested Bloxham and booked him into the Fairfax County jail where he was being held without bail. The fiance, Carrie Johanson, had told Todd Rogers about Bloxham's strange behavior, David Rogers said.
"She had mentioned to Todd that he existed. He's out there," David Rogers said. "Todd is a peaceful guy and thought he could handle it peacefully, no big deal."
Bloxham and Johanson worked together at the U.S. Census Bureau, David Rogers said. Bloxham had never threatened violence before, David Rogers said, but Johanson reported that he had watched her from outside her house.
Todd Rogers grew up in Salt Lake City and played football for a brief time for Taylorsville High School, his father said. He earned his bachelor's degree and a master's degree in mechanical engineering at BYU and served an LDS mission in Brazil.
Todd Rogers moved to Virginia from California to take a job with Micron and to find a bride, his father said.
"He wanted to come to where there were more single women," David Rogers said
8 comments:
Isn't Kelly Kay friends with Carrie Jo?
No, Kelli is friends with Cindy Jo.
Wow. Scary.
Is 'Utahn' a real word?!?! Never heard of it.
I'm sure some not so smart guy in Sacrament will blame this on flirty and teasing girls in the Ward, haha.
Utahn? its used all the time in Utah and the intermountain west. You really don't get out much, do you? ;)
Somehow, that would probably cause a minor insurrection out here right now.
I love how it's identified that he was an EQ counselor in the very first sentence of the article. Like people out of the church even know what that means....Still that's seriously creepy and I feel so sorry for the couple and their families.
Well...it is a Salt Lake Tribune Article, but yeah that's pretty odd.
FYI: The trial starts today (3/10/08).
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