Juarez E. Rogers, 53, took a plea deal 2021, pleading guilty to reduced charges of attempted armed robbery and burglary in lieu of the original charges of murder, among other
A judge granted the state s request to join trials for the final two defendants charged in the shooting death of an 18-year-old Portage High School student in 2019 in Griffith.
The defendant was prepared to plead guilty a year ago, but the judge refused to accept his plea agreement after he claimed the shooting was an accident.