Two suspects in an Alabama murder investigation were apprehended at 12:30 p.m. on June 21 by deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, with help from members from the Marion County SWAT team.
“As the investigation in Alabama unfolded, our deputies received information from investigators that the two men may be in the Aumsville/Stayton area, which ultimately resulted in arrest,” said Sheriff Joe Kast of MSCO.
Frederic “Rick” Allen Rogers, 23, and John Michael Legg, 20, were arrested after deputies observed the men driving a silver/grey Dodge Charger with an Alabama license plate and a traffic stop was initiated. The suspects were detained at gunpoint and taken into custody without incident.
Rogers, of Hartselle, Alabama, and Legg, of Danville, Alabama, are lodged at the Marion County Jail awaiting extradition to Morgan County where the crimes were committed.
“The specifics around the extradition of the two men back to Alabama is still being worked on,” Kast said. “While the specific details have not been worked out, we will be actively working with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office through the extradition process.”
The day prior to the arrests, warrants were issued for the offense of capital murder related to the mass shooting of seven people on June 4 in Valhermoso Springs, near Huntsville, Alabama, and a BOLO was issued nationwide.
The two men are charged with the deaths of Tammy England Muzzey, 45, of Valhermoso Springs; Emily Brooke Payne, 21, of Valhermoso Springs; Roger Lee Jones Jr., 19, of Decatur; Jeramy Wade Roberts, 31, of Athens; William Zane Hodgin, 18, of Sommerville; James Wayne Benford, 22, of Decatur; and a 17-year-old girl. The bodies were recovered in Muzzey’s Valhermoso Springs home where the murders occurred, which was set on fire after the shootings, investigators said.
“They also did not have a criminal record,” Puckett said. “I don’t know that we’ve had any run-ins that would be of any sufficient content to say they were dangerous.”
Puckett said 25 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, worked together to “solve this horrible crime.” Investigators identified a home in Salem as a potential destination, he added.
“This was a very tough case to work,” Puckett said. “But these investigators worked tirelessly to find these killers. This case would not be solved without their hard work, their dedication and their sacrifice.”
The case is under active investigation and evidence is still being collected.
At the press conference, Puckett reached out to families of the victims, saying investigators did not give up on “your loved ones… these arrests will begin your journey to justice.”
