Man convicted of child rape, murder in 1996 has death sentence overturned

By Mary Alice Royse

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — Last week, a new appeals court overturned a Clarksville man’s death sentence. The case now moves back to the trial court level for a new sentencing phase.

William Glenn Rogers, 60, was found guilty of raping and murdering a 9-year-old girl in 1996. During the original trial, Rogers was convicted on nine counts, including one count of first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of first-degree felony murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of rape of a child, and two counts of criminal impersonation.

According to court documents, Circuit Judge Karen Nelson Moore overturned the decision of a Tennessee jury, convicting William Glenn Rogers of kidnapping, rape, and murder, and imposed a sentence of death.

Judge Moore said that Rogers claimed that the sufficiency of the evidence and the state’s limitation of evidence and cross-examination, as well as five groups of claims of ineffective assistance of counsel at the guilt/innocence, sentencing, and motion-for-a-new-trial stages.

“Accordingly, we affirm in part, reverse in part, vacate in part, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion,” Judge Moore said in court documents.

It is unknown when he is to reappear in a trial at this time.

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