John Michael Legg
MORGAN COUNTY-On Tuesday, June 21 the two suspects wanted in the slaying of seven people in Valhermoso Springs have been arrested in Marion Couunty, Oregon.
Sheriff Ron R. Puckett and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office issued the following statement:
“On Friday, June 19, 2020 The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office obtained warrants for the arrest of John Michael Legg, 19 of Danville, AL and Frederic “Rick” Rogers 22 of Hartselle, AL on Capital Murder charges. The warrants were in relation to the Septuple(7) Homicides that took place on June 4, 2020 on Talucah Rd in Valhermoso Springs in Morgan County Alabama.
Investigators issued a BOLO alert to Law Enforcement nationwide. Investigators obtain information on the travel and
Frederic “Rick” Rogers
potential whereabouts of the two individuals throughout the investigation. Once the warrants were obtained, angencies identified a home in Salem, Oregon as a potential destination.
On Sunday,, June 21, 2020, Deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office observed the suspects and initiated a traffic stop. The individual’s were detained at gunpoint and taken into custody without incident. They are currently located in the Marion County Jail awaiting extradition to Alabama.
The arrests are the result of a Morgan County Sheriff’s Office investigation supported by numerous agencies across North Alabama and the country. Our partner agencies in the FBI North Alabama Violent Crimes Task Force were invaluable in their dedicated support and resources.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the assistance of our partner angencies with a special note of appreciation to: Sheriff Turner and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Field Offices in Birmingham, Denver and Portland, Sheriff Sims and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office(Oregon) and United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Jay Town.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office actively worked around the clock to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice. Our team of investigators and support staff have been fully engaged since the horrific scene was discovered by deputies. We followowed up on every lead, reviewing every tip and piecing together what lead up to the events of June 4, 2020. Additionally, we were assisted by agencies across Alabama. This assistance as well as our strategic participation in the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force provides invaluable personnel and resources.
The North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force is an FBI sponsored Task Force targeting violent crime in the Northern District of Alabama. It is comprised of the FBI, the Huntsville Police Department, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Cullman Police Department and the Ohatchee Police Department. The NAVCTF is also supported by prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Offices of member agencies.
Part of the mission of the NAVCTF is to identify and target for prosecution criminal enterprise groups for, among other things, murder, aggravated assault and robbery. The NAVCTF enhances the effectiveness of investigations by bringing member agencies together and coordinating the most effective investigative/prosecutive avenues by which to convict and incarcerate dangerous offenders.
Additionally, the FBI sponsored North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force staffed by the FBI and the Huntsville Police Department has devoted multiple bodies and extensive time to this investigation.
The NAVCTF and NASSTF have contributed 7 FBI agents and 12 investigators from member agencies to assist in this investigation.
Arrests are public information. Any indication of an individual’s arrest does not imply they have been convicted of a crime. All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
