A man from St. Louis secured a plea deal yesterday that concluded a significant chapter of a double homicide case from 2017. Darnell Rogers, now 29, will serve 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty to his involvement in a fatal robbery that claimed the lives of Megan Nieder and Joseph Finger in St. Louis's Carondelet neighborhood, seven years to the day of their deaths.
On October 24, 2017, police discovered both Nieder, 27, and Finger, 40, having succumbed to gunshot wounds. Initial reports indicated that Finger had been carrying a substantial sum of money, however, the aftermath of the crime scene saw none. Authorities located shell casings from two different firearms, and, Rogers' cellphone records placed him in communication with Finger prior to the unfortunate incident. In the days that followed, Rogers was charged with another robbery in St. Louis County, according to court documents.
While serving a sentence for the latter offense, Rogers made phone calls instructing relatives to dispose of a certain black purse, which became an integral piece of evidence once intercepted by police. The purse, discovered in the basement of Rogers' parents' abode, not only contained a strap matching an item at the crime scene but also bore Finger's DNA, further entangling Rogers in the double homicide narrative.
As detailed in the proceedings, Rogers faced judgment in court under St. Louis Circuit Judge John T. Bird. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, and four counts of armed criminal action. The sentence, which aligns with his 10-year punishment for the other robbery, left the victims’ relatives with lingering questions and profound sorrow, the Judge, expressing dissatisfaction with the plea agreement but ultimately accepting it stating on the St. Louis Circuit Court, "This is just a tragedy and you caused it," declared Bird. "Your greed caused it."
Rogers' case number is 2022-CR01430-01. Full details of the sentencing can be referred to on the official St. Louis Circuit Court's website.
