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In May 1989, Joan Rogers and her 2 daughters, 17-year old Michelle, and 14-year old Christe went on vacation to Florida from their home state of Ohio. This was the family’s first time ever leaving Ohio. Joan’s husband, Hal Rogers, stayed behind to care for the family’s dairy farm.
Photo Source: Crime Magazine website
On June 1, Joan and her daughters got lost and decided to spend an extra night in Tampa Bay. While at a gas station, the family was approached by a local man who offered to give the family a sunset boat cruise that night. Reluctant, Joan Rogers accepted the man’s offer after being persuaded to go by Michelle and Christe. This would be the last time anyone saw the Rogers family alive.
Photo Source: Tampa Bay Times
On June 4, 1989, the Tampa Bay Police Department discovered the bodies of 3 women floating in the water. They were half naked, bound, and tied to 30-pound concrete blocks. Their autopsies revealed water in their lungs, indicating they were still very much alive when they drowned.
Photo Source: Ny Daily News
The bodies were identified as Joan Rogers and her two teenage daughters Michelle and Christe.
Although Joan’s husband Hal failed to report his family missing for several days after they were last seen, he was quickly ruled out as a potential suspect after his alibi confirmed he was in Ohio the entire time.
Photo Source: Tampa Bay Times
Investigators obtained 2 notes inside of Joan’s abandoned vehicle that was parked at the boat ramp. One note with directions to the hotel the family was staying at, and one with directions to the boat ramp for the sunset cruise. One note was identified as Joan’s handwriting.
The other note didn’t belong to Joan Rogers.
The note was sent to a forensic document examiner to identify unique writing styles from the handwriting.
Police learned that just 2 weeks before the Rogers family was murdered, a Canadian tourist (Judy Blair) was raped while taking a sunset boat cruise on a blue and white boat. Police believe the same person was responsible for the Roger’s murders.
After several years go by in the investigation, the police get creative.
A sample of the handwriting found on the note inside Joan Roger’s car was posted on a highway billboard in hopes someone would recognize the handwriting. A few weeks later, a woman by the name of Joanne Steffey called Tampa Bay Police because she believed she knew who the handwriting belonged to: Oba Chandler.
Photo Source: The Clark County Prosecutor
Oba Chandler worked as a contractor for Joanne Steffey but was fired because he was described as being “shady”. And he was a shady guy, he fathered 13 children with 12 different women over the years and ran an unlicensed contractor business.
Photo Source: Crime Magazine
Police check Chandler’s ship-to-shore records and learned that Chandler was on the water that day the Canadian tourist was raped and the day the Rogers family was murdered.
Forensics also discovered Oba Chandler’s fingerprints and palm prints on the note found inside Joan Rogers car, proving he was the one who wrote down the directions to the boat ramp.
Oba Chandler was arrested for the murder of Joan Rogers and her two teenage daughters.
A combination of handwriting samples and fingerprints brought another killer to justice. The handwriting sample proved that Chandler met the Rogers family and offered them a sunset cruise on her boat. The fingerprints found on the note further proved that Chandler met Joan that afternoon. Finally, ship-to-shore records proved that he was out on his boat that same night the family was thrown off the boat and murdered.
Oba Chandler was convicted of the Rogers family murders and sentenced to death. He was executed by the state of Florida on November 15, 2011.
Remember the victims: Joan Rogers, Michelle Rogers, and Christe Rogers
Episode Sources:
Forensic Files “Water Logged” (2011)
Oba Chandler Wiki
Crime Magazine Website
Murderpedia Oba Chandler
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