In the pre-dawn hours of a late November day in West Helena, Arkansas, the lives of two young men were tragically cut short. On November 26, 2021, police responded to a call at 1113 US Hwy 49 West around 12:22 a.m.. Upon their arrival, they discovered a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu, and inside, a scene of violence that would forever alter the lives of two families.
Twenty-one-year-old Eddie Trancy and eighteen-year-old Avin Redmon were found inside the vehicle, both having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical personnel were unable to save them, and both young men were pronounced dead at the scene at 1:20 a.m.. The double homicide prompted an immediate and thorough investigation by the Helena-West Helena Police Department. As law enforcement officials began to piece together the events of that fatal morning, their focus soon narrowed in on a potential suspect.
Through the course of their investigation, authorities identified 31-year-old Michael Rogers as a person of interest connected to the shootings. Just over a week later, on December 4, their efforts culminated in his arrest. Rogers was subsequently charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of a terroristic act for his alleged role in the deaths of Eddie Trancy and Avin Redmon. He was then held on a $750,000 bond as the community began to grieve the loss of two of its own.
