The Murders of Summer Baldwin and Joanna Rogers

Summer Lee Baldwin was a 29-year-old American woman, she was an only child who was close to her family. At the time of her murder, Summer was living in a motel and working as a sex worker, she was also five weeks pregnant. Summer’s body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a landfill on 13th September 2005, she had died from asphyxiation and/ or blunt force trauma and had been beaten before her death.

Joanna Kathryn Rogers was 16-years-old when she went missing in May 2004, after the discovery of Summer’s body police began to wonder if the two cases were linked. A thorough search of the landfill Summer was found in confirmed this; Joanna’s body was found at the same place, also stuffed into a suitcase, she had been murdered in the same manner with the cause of death being asphyxiation and blunt force trauma.

Rosendo Rodriguez III was arrested in connection with the murders, he had no prior convictions. CCTV footage captured Rodriguez buying the suitcase Summer’s body was found in from a Walmart near the landfill. He had also been seen with Summer the night she went missing. Rodriguez was also linked to Joanna and the two were thought to have been acquaintances; analysis of both of their computers confirmed they were known to each other.

Rodriguez refused a guilty plea deal and was found guilty by a jury, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. He was executed on 27th March 2018.

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