Friday, April 26, 2024
An Arlington man was arrested in connection with the death of a former Granbury woman found in a plastic container floating in Kentucky Lake last Saturday night.
Jeffery Rogers, 60, used a rented boat to dispose of the body, which was found near Colson Hollow in western Kentucky just north of the Tennessee state line, police said.
The death of Traci Leigh Jones, 41, wa ruled a homicide.
Warrants obtained on Monday charged Rogers with abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
Texas Rangers arrested Rogers the next day in Fort Worth. Bond was set at $1 million while he awaits extradition to Tennessee, police said.
The investigation continues.
Rogers drove on Interstate 30 from Texas into Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky on Wednesday, June 17 in a white 2017 Dodge Ram pickup with a camper top, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). The license plate is LFJ-7985.
A female, who was not the victim, was riding with him, authorities said.
Rogers was wearing shorts and a green shirt with the Star Wars character Yoda on the front. He also had a longer piece of hair in the back, commonly called a rat tail.
Investigators say you could have vital information if you saw Rogers at a gas station, convenience store or any stop between Texas and Kentucky on June 17.
Call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The TBI is working with the Texas Rangers, Kentucky State Police and Arkansas State Police in trying to solve the case.
Rogers is from the Kentucky Lake area, according to an acquaintance in Kentucky who did not want to be identified. She said Rogers maintained a cleancut appearance, presenting himself as a Christian and family man.
“We’re pretty shocked,” the woman said about his arrest.
Jones knew Rogers, one of her friends said.
Jones, who worked as a waitress most of her life, was from Dublin, according to friends and her obituary on the Dublin Citizen website.
A friend posted on Facebook that Jones “was the kindest, sweetest person in the world.”
She was born on June 15, 1979 in Brownwood to Margaret Louise McDonald Jones and Lyndon Howard “LH” Jones.
“She loved her son and animals and was definitely a mommas (sic) girl,” according to the obituary. “She was a free spirit and now is at rest with her mom.”
Survivors include a son, Caleb Krawiecki, of Taylors, South Carolina. Graveside service was held Friday at New Dublin Live Oak. Donations: Dublin Humane Society or Erath County Humane Society.
