Chester SC double murder case to be featured on ‘Cold Justice’ as 2nd suspect charged
A Chester County double murder from 2020 will be featured Saturday on the Oxygen network television show, “Cold Justice.”
The case is about the shooting deaths of Gene Rogers, 61, and Billie Rogers, 78, on June 21, 2020 — Father’s Day.
The case went unsolved from June 2020 until October, when law enforcement and prosecutors announced the arrest of Gene Alexzander “Alex” Scott. Scott, 24, of Columbia, is the grandson of Gene Rogers and great-grandson of Billie Rogers, officials said.
On Wednesday, days before the episode airs, a second person was arrested in connection with the murders. A former Marine from Florida is accused of providing Scott with a false alibi for the time of the killings.
“Cold Justice” is a true crime show that works on cases around the country, according to its website. The investigative series follows a veteran prosecutor and her team of detectives as they travel to small towns to dig into unsolved homicide cases, according to a release from the show.
The Rogers homicides occurred in rural Richburg, near Interstate 77, between Rock Hill and Columbia.
The episode is set to air Saturday at 8 p.m.
‘Cold Justice’ help leads to indictment
Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey said Wednesday he agreed to work with the “Cold Justice” team. Doing so helped lead to Scott’s indictment. In October, a Chester County grand jury returned murder indictments against Scott.
“This was an exceptional tool that helped bring the case to the grand jury,” Dorsey said. “I’m not too proud to ask for help.”
In a statement on the sheriff’s Facebook page, Dorsey’s office said the show’s resources were helpful to their investigation.
“The resources and expertise of the ‘Cold Justice’ team, in combination with the resources and expertise of the Chester County Sheriff’s Office and State Law Enforcement Division, helped our investigations team take steps to secure a True Bill Indictment on Scott. We are grateful to the ‘Cold Justice’ team for their assistance, and we encourage everyone to watch the episode on Saturday.”
Sixth Circuit Deputy Solicitor Candice Lively said the case has not yet been set for trial.
Scott was extradited from a U.S. Army base in Germany, where he served in the military in October. He remains in the Chester County jail without bail pending trial.
William Frick, 6th Circuit Public Defender, said he is aware of the TV show but had no comment about it.
“Our office will do our own investigation in this case,” Frick said Wednesday, adding that Scott hasn’t been convicted of any crime.
Frick and lead defense counsel Kay Boulware of the public defender’s office are Scott’s lawyers.
Second person obstructed police, officials say
On Wednesday, Evan James Webb, 24, of Riverview, Florida, was charged in connection to the 2020 killings, according to sheriff’s office and jail records.
Webb was served an arrest warrant for one count of obstruction of justice, according to Dorsey and Chester County jail records. Webb turned himself in Wednesday, records show.
He is accused of assisting Scott with creating a false alibi for the time of the crimes, according to the arrest warrant obtained by The Herald. Webb initially told law enforcement that Scott was with him at the time both victims were killed, the warrant states.
Webb withheld information from investigators from the Chester sheriff’s office in three interviews starting in June 2020, the warrant states.
Webb and Scott served together in the Marines, said Grant Suskin, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
Both eventually left the Marines; Scott then joined the Army, officials said.
Webb remains in the Chester County jail.
This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
