In the early morning hours of January 22, 2022, the life of 43-year-old Destiny Dawn Rogers, a Caucasian female from Spearfish, South Dakota, was tragically cut short. Police responded to a 911 call for medical assistance at a residence on St. Joe Street at 12:48 a.m.. Upon arrival, they discovered Destiny suffering from a gunshot wound.. She was immediately transported by ambulance to a local hospital in Spearfish, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival..
The immediate investigation
led authorities to her husband, 33-year-old Dreau Rogers. He was arrested and subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with his wife's shooting death.. In addition to the murder charge, Dreau Rogers also faced charges for the possession and ingestion of a controlled substance.. During the investigation, Dreau Rogers claimed that another man was responsible for the shooting, but police were able to verify that individual's alibi through text messages and pictures showing he was elsewhere at the time of the incident.. A gun matching the caliber used in the shooting was later found hidden in the backyard of the Rogers' home..
Dreau Lester Rogers' case proceeded through the legal system, with a trial held in Deadwood.. Despite his not guilty plea, a Lawrence County jury convicted him of second-degree murder in December 2023.. The jury also found him guilty on multiple drug-related charges and for being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon.. Following his conviction, Dreau Rogers was sentenced to a mandatory life in prison for the murder of his wife.. The South Dakota Supreme Court later upheld his conviction.. The case was investigated by the Spearfish Police Department and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the South Dakota Attorney General's Office and the Lawrence County State's Attorney's Office..
