In the small city of Elba, Alabama, the life of 26-year-old Donta Jaqun Rogers was cut short by an act of violence that would leave his family and community seeking answers for more than two years. On the evening of Thursday, January 16, 2020, Rogers was found fatally shot inside his residence on Putnam Street. The Elba Police Department swiftly launched a homicide investigation into his death, beginning a long and arduous process for his loved ones who held vigils in his memory, pleading for
anyone with information to come forward.
For many months, the investigation into the death of the young man, known to friends and family as '5 Fresh' and 'Kodak,' continued with no public announcement of a breakthrough. Rogers, a welder at Dorsey Trailers and a graduate of Elba High School, was remembered for his goofy personality, his love for dancing, and a smile that could light up a room. The silence in the case was a heavy burden for those who mourned him, a period of uncertainty punctuated by the hope that justice would eventually be served.
A significant development in the case finally came in July 2022, when authorities identified a suspect. The family of Donta Rogers learned that an arrest had been made in connection with his death. The suspect was identified as Joran Wilden. At the time he was named in the Rogers case, Wilden was already incarcerated in the Geneva County Jail on an unrelated drug possession charge. The Elba Police Department placed a hold on him, ensuring he would not be released while the murder investigation proceeded.
Further details emerged suggesting the shooting may have occurred during a burglary at Rogers' home. In a subsequent court hearing, a Coffee County judge considered a motion under Aniah's Law, which allows for pretrial detention without bail for violent offenders. The judge, however, denied this status for Wilden and set his bond at $250,000. As a condition of his potential release, the judge ordered that Wilden was to have no contact with the family of Donta Rogers. The case against Joran Wilden continues to move through the legal system.
