FL - Ryan Rogers, 14, fatally stabbed, Palm Beach Gardens, 16 Nov 2021 *Arrest*

[Seattle1]

Palm Beach Gardens Police
@PBGPD

Anyone with information is requested to contact us at 561-799-4445. #crime #crimetips



9:25 AM · Nov 20, 202

 

[Seattle1]

Ryan Rogers' death ruled a homicide, Gardens police say

11/20/21

[..]

[Maj] Rogers declined to give any further details, such as the approximate time the boy died, because "it's a critical piece of the investigation." He added that he couldn't be too specific until the police have a suspect in custody.

The boy's disappearance Monday night drew widespread attention after his family, and family friends, called on neighbors across the Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens area to look for the teenager, who had left his home on his bicycle around 6:30 p.m.

After his body was found near the Central Boulevard sidewalk at the Interstate 95 overpass around 9 a.m. the next day, friends and neighbors organized fundraising efforts to help the family with expenses for his funeral, while the Palm Beach Gardens Youth Athletic Association, where he had played soccer, organized a meal train.

[..]

Ryan's mother, Cindy Rogers, had written that her son lost control while riding his bicycle and fell, according to a CBS-12 report. Ryan was reported missing Monday after he failed to return to his home in the Alton community.

[..]

"I also want to take a moment to say that the loss of Ryan is unimaginable, and I never thought I would ever not see him play soccer again, or spend vacation with him, or see him walk through the door or send him off to school every morning," she wrote. "His smile, his laugh and his heart is what I remember the most."

Ryan was a student at William T. Dwyer High School. The Palm Beach County School District has made grief counselors available for Dwyer students and staff.

ETA:

It seems this was a school week when RR went missing. I'm curious what time family and family friends called on neighbors, etc. to look for Ryan. Was this Monday night when word went out he was missing? Seems his destination would have been announced at that time as well....

 

[PayrollNerd]

The only reason I can think of that Mom would make this statement is, she had knowledge that someone provided him with an illegal substance of some type. That would still be homicide I think, because giving a minor an illegal substance is just that, illegal. Even if a child willingly took the substance, he’s only 14, did he or was he capable of realizing the consequences?

"He chose to leave the world at this time and in this way."

 

[SweetCrabs]

I agree. It is possible that Ryan's death occurred elsewhere and then his remains were dumped by the roadside.
Can we assume that Ryan's body (and bike) were transported by car to the dump site? I'm trying to figure out how anyone could quickly and quietly transport these heavy objects in the dark at like, 3am. Are golf carts used in this area? I thought I saw a photo of a golf cart driving along that roadway.
A small cart would be able to get places a car couldn't.

I couldn't find the exact reason Ryan left his house on that night. Was it released?

Theoretically, between midnight and about 6AM, the body and bike could have been tossed out in minutes simply by stopping a pickup or SUV on the street very briefly. There's NO traffic at all then. At 3AM? You'd be very, very safe to do it. No one would see you. It's the darkest part of Central because in other areas, private home developments have lights on the street. Not there. It's pitch black, and the bike path is right at the edge of the street (and the embankment is not a steep hill so much as a bush on a very slight slope). Or, they could have pulled into the service road to Old Pam and turned off car lights and left him. It's right there. Cameras could be easily avoided spotting a bike at intersections with it with a covered bed or SUV. IMO, the place where he was found is pretty much the best spot to avoid detection if you wanted to be sure not to be seen and that he would be found in the morning. Also, it was not a big bike, and Ryan was not a big kid.

Police and media reported that Ryan left his house at about 6:30 to go for a bike ride. No destination was released.

 

[Seattle1]

The only reason I can think of that Mom would make this statement is, she had knowledge that someone provided him with an illegal substance of some type. That would still be homicide I think, because giving a minor an illegal substance is just that, illegal. Even if a child willingly took the substance, he’s only 14, did he or was he capable of realizing the consequences?

"He chose to leave the world at this time and in this way."

^^bbm

My first thought for this star athlete did not involve drug use. I think the mother's comments were made when she also believed that her son crashed his bike in an accident. Given this was a school night, perhaps she believed he was late returning home and was being reckless -- maybe even riding without his helmet. Even so, IMO, it's a very odd statement.

More questions -- did RR take his cell phone, backpack?

Age 14 can prove a difficult time between parents and teens. I'm wondering if the teen left home on his bike without permission. Prior to the homicide announcement, I thought about Corey Brown, IA, that left home after an argument with his folks over his cell phone. Brown died after falling from a communication tower.

 

[MassGuy]

The only reason I can think of that Mom would make this statement is, she had knowledge that someone provided him with an illegal substance of some type. That would still be homicide I think, because giving a minor an illegal substance is just that, illegal. Even if a child willingly took the substance, he’s only 14, did he or was he capable of realizing the consequences?

"He chose to leave the world at this time and in this way."

That doesn't work, as toxicology takes a while. Some sort of physical event explains this.

 

[MaryG12]

One thing on my mind is this:

Seeing that RR was found on the embankment near I-95 - it is possible that whoever did this had parked their car off to the side of the highway before leaving?

Because that may provide for a quick getaway.

 

[Seattle1]

One thing on my mind is this:

Seeing that RR was found on the embankment near I-95 - it is possible that whoever did this had parked their car off to the side of the highway before leaving?

Because that may provide for a quick getaway.

I'm not familiar with the area but it seems that leaving the victim's body at the bottom of the ravine where there was little traffic or out of sight would make sense whereas the bike could easily be placed or tossed over the guardrail without ever exiting the vehicle. MOO

 

[sovietlovin]

Retired FBI agent weighs in on challenges of finding Ryan Rogers' killer

I live in Alton and the FBI agent made a comment that made it seem that he was either brutally beaten or stabbed.

"It's clearly something that he had an altercation with somebody who was extremely angry to cause those type of injuries to kill him," said retired FBI Special Agent John MacVeigh.

LE hasn't provided any new information at all, its been silent and I haven't seen extra patrol cars anywhere.

 

[Lusitana]

If he was being abused at home, I believe he would've told someone. He sounds like a pretty social kid, so he most likely had friends. I'm honestly not getting the vibe that the family is involved but I've been wrong in other cases.

I still think it was either a teen or a young adult. <modsnip> I'm always unable to remember of the poor girl that was murdered by her two closest friends. It is actually not that far fetched.

 

[Seattle1]

Missing 14-Year-Old Boy Found Dead in Florida, Police Investigating Cause of Death

11/17/21

[..]

"At William T. Dwyer High School, we are a family that celebrates our successes, and grieves our losses together," Brooks wrote. "I am certain that you will keep the family in your thoughts."

Rogers was a freshman at the school, according to local CBS station WPEC.

William T. Dwyer High School did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

The teen was remembered as being a "wonderful young man" who had devoted much of his young life to soccer.

"Ryan had been a part of our soccer program since he was 4 years old," David Craven with the Palm Beach Gardens Youth Athletic Association told WPEC.

Craven noted that in addition to being coached by his mother Cindy this year, the teenager had "started refereeing, which is a wonderful thing for young children."

Craven was among the concerned community members who joined in the search for Ryan before news of his death was announced.

"We all did get together very early [Tuesday] morning to start what would be the volunteer search party. And sadly, a few hours later, we got the text to stop," he told WPFB. "He was a very exciting, vibrant young man, an athlete. And he is truly going to be missed."

 

[sovietlovin]

If he was being abused at home, I believe he would've told someone. He sounds like a pretty social kid, so he most likely had friends. I'm honestly not getting the vibe that the family is involved but I've been wrong in other cases.

I still think it was either a teen or a young adult. Maybe about drugs, maybe about a girl or a boy. I'm always unable to remember of the poor girl that was murdered by her two closest friends. It is actually not that far fetched.

Ugh I think about that case a lot, so horrible. It is a possibility but most people here think he was placed there with the bike kind of staged.. The timeline the mother provided doesn't add up to him being reported so early the night before and then found at 9am in bright day light.. Just doesn't make any sense, someone would have seen him. I have a feeling LE has a lot more information and may have a suspect or at least an idea of who it could possibly be, there would be cops everywhere here to patrol the area which there isn't.

<modsnip>

 

[Seattle1]

Retired FBI agent weighs in on challenges of finding Ryan Rogers' killer

I live in Alton and the FBI agent made a comment that made it seem that he was either brutally beaten or stabbed.

"It's clearly something that he had an altercation with somebody who was extremely angry to cause those type of injuries to kill him," said retired FBI Special Agent John MacVeigh.

LE hasn't provided any new information at all, its been silent and I haven't seen extra patrol cars anywhere.

Thanks for local insight @sovietlovin. Are you familiar with the old golf building and the service road near the bottom of the ravine where the body was allegedly located? I understand it's not visible from the overpass but known to locals.

 

[kinder]

One thing to note about Alton that's not apparent by looking at Google Maps satellite and street views is that the community is relatively new and there are many homes under various stages of construction. It dawned upon me, as I drove past Ryan's house tonight, that there are many dark, vacant, easily accessible and open buildings down dark streets within reasonable biking distance of Ryan's home. Alton is not gated. And although it feels safe IMHO to bike ride at night in the inhabited areas that are very well lighted, Ryan IMHO may have only intended for a neighborhood bike ride within Alton, which I don't think would be unreasonable for a parent to allow a teenager to do.

 

[branmuffin]

I absolutely agree. It's just something to take note of, as it's not something I've ever seen before myself.

Everyone reacts differently to an event like this though, but it's something to file away for later (this case or a future one).

I've heard family members refer to a child's death as God's plan or he's in a better place. I've never heard a parent or anyone refer to a murdered child as going out in a big way as if the victim choreographed the event. It is a perplexing statement.

 

[steeltowngirl]

If he was being abused at home, I believe he would've told someone. He sounds like a pretty social kid, so he most likely had friends. I'm honestly not getting the vibe that the family is involved but I've been wrong in other cases.

I still think it was either a teen or a young adult. <modsnip> I'm always unable to remember of the poor girl that was murdered by her two closest friends. It is actually not that far fetched.

You may be thinking of the Skylar Neese case.
From Best Friends to Killers: Teens Murder Friend Because They 'Didn't Like Her'

 

[kinder]

Thanks for local insight @sovietlovin. Are you familiar with the old golf building and the service road near the bottom of the ravine where the body was allegedly located? I understand it's not visible from the overpass but known to locals.

Google Earth does a much better job of rendering highly detailed images. If you have a desktop PC with a large monitor, you can zoom incredibly close. Would not recommend looking at this link on mobile.

It appears that there is a trail in those woods that appears clearly on Google Earth but not so much on other satellite platforms.

Old Palm Golf Club Maintenance Facility (incredible detail):
Google Earth

 

[branmuffin]

I watched the tribute video. It showed a young man who lived an extraordinary life packed into 14 years.

He was obviously a very happy kid and his life was enriched by all the experiences his parents gave him and his brother. From ziplining to Disney he seemed to have done it all.

He was also a very accomplished athlete, it seems. Soccer, baseball, golf, you name it. He also grew up. He was still a young boy on his 12th birthday in 2019 but he was becoming a very attractive young man at age 14.

I'm not casting aspersions but we all know that some kids involved in sports get unwanted attention from those that are involved in sports. You only have to see how the US Olympic girl's gymnastic team was groomed by their long time coach. It's definitely something I would investigate as LE.

I wonder whether he was meeting an adult somewhere, not anywhere near the place where his body was found. Like others surmise, it seems like a body dump. Poor kid. He had his whole life to live.

I still don't understand the comment from the parent even if it was said before his death was ruled a homicide. Maybe if he was 30 and loved sky diving but not a 14 year old kid who hadn't experienced the whole of his life. My opinion only. IMO

 

[Cle2002]

<modsnip -quoted post removed>
Yes! This! The news story the other day from the FBI guy made it sound like something violent occurred. <modsnip> IMHO

 

[montana1]

I wish I could find a link to the original missing person alert. I’m pretty sure it was stated that he left on his bike in a black hoodie, black shorts/pants… didn’t say anything about a bike helmet. On a dark road it would be hard to see him riding on the sidewalk. I know it has been stated by other posters that they never see people on bikes at night, but it would also be hard to spot someone in all black if not actually trying to spot someone. I’m pretty sure the speed limit there is 40/45 (my kids used to go to school on hood road), so you aren’t driving slowly there either. IMHO I would guess that he just went for a bike ride without telling his mom where he was going. I could see a kid taking it upon themselves to venture further than the parents might otherwise say is ok. This case does seems very difficult as there are so many directions you could take a theory.