San Bernardino, California – A Superior Court jury in San Bernardino recommended two death sentences for Jerome Anthony Rogers, a registered sex offender, convicted of murdering and robbing two elderly women more than a decade ago. Rogers, 68, was found guilty of the murders of Wanda Lee Paulin, 86, in 2010 and Mary Beth Blaskey, 76, in 2012.
The decision came after a two-month trial, during which Rogers maintained his innocence. Judge J. David Mazurek will have the final say on whether to accept the jury’s recommendation for the death penalty or sentence Rogers to life without parole. Sentencing is scheduled for July 19.
Rogers, a neighborhood handyman, was accused of committing the heinous crimes in San Bernardino – Paulin was killed on North Mountain View Avenue in 2010, while Blaskey was murdered at her home on Fremontia Drive in 2012. Rogers was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of sexual penetration by force, with special circumstances that made him eligible for the death penalty.
DNA evidence linked Rogers to the crimes, as items believed to have been stolen from the victims were found in his possession. He was charged in 2013 for Blaskey’s death and sexual assault, and later tied to Paulin’s slaying through DNA evidence. A second case was filed in 2015 incorporating charges related to the Blaskey homicide.
Paulin, a long-time bookkeeper, had her home ransacked, and her rings were stolen, while Blaskey, a retired clerk, had her home ransacked and her car missing. Rogers was spotted with items unrelated to his usual possessions shortly after the incidents, prompting police to investigate him further.
As developments unfold, stay tuned for updates on this ongoing case involving the tragic murders of Wanda Lee Paulin and Mary Beth Blaskey in San Bernardino.