Ramon Jay Rogers

Serial Killer

Ramon Jay Rogers: The San Diego Dismemberment Murders

Background

Ramon Jay Rogers was a former United States Navy serviceman, aspiring actor, drummer, businessman and apartment manager who was convicted of murdering three people close to him in San Diego, California, between 1993 and 1996. His victims were not strangers selected at random. They were a former best friend and two women with whom he had intimate relationships. Each victim had become a source of personal conflict for Rogers, and each disappeared after going to or living at the apartment complex he managed at 7007 Saranac Street. Rogers had performed small acting roles, including appearances as criminals, and attempted to establish himself in the entertainment industry. To friends and acquaintances, he could appear sociable and ambitious. Behind that public image, however, prosecutors described a controlling man who responded violently when relationships threatened his finances, reputation or personal plans. The three murder cases were connected by Rogers's shifting explanations, his possession of victims' property and physical evidence recovered from storage rooms beneath his apartment.

The Disappearance and Murder of Ron Stadt

Ron Stadt had met Rogers while both men were serving in the Navy. They became close friends and later lived in San Diego, where Stadt temporarily stayed with Rogers after separating from his wife, Debra. The friendship deteriorated after Stadt learned that Rogers had been having an affair with Debra. Stadt intended to use evidence of the affair during a child-custody dispute, creating a serious conflict between the two men. On June 24, 1993, Stadt had a heated telephone conversation with Rogers while at work. Stadt told a coworker that he planned to go to Rogers's apartment to retrieve personal property. He was uneasy about meeting Rogers alone and asked the coworker and his wife to accompany him, but they declined. Stadt left work during the early evening and drove to the Saranac Street apartment complex. At approximately 6:20 p.m., Debra Stadt saw Stadt driving his truck through the alley behind the apartment building, with Rogers following in another vehicle. Rogers noticed Debra and urgently told her to leave. That was the last confirmed sighting of Stadt. He failed to appear for work the following day, never collected his paycheck and conducted no further activity on his credit accounts. His body has never been recovered. Rogers gave contradictory accounts of Stadt's visit. He initially said Stadt had come to retrieve a ladder, but later told a detective that Stadt had come for jewelry. He subsequently offered friends several different explanations for Stadt's disappearance, claiming that Stadt had fled to avoid child-support obligations, had driven away to begin another life or had been killed in a fight. At other times, Rogers made disturbing remarks suggesting that Stadt was dead and that his remains had been concealed. After Stadt disappeared, Rogers possessed items that had belonged to him, including a radar detector and a key connected to Debra's vehicle. Rogers also telephoned women using unlisted numbers that had been given to Stadt but not to Rogers. During a conversation about Stadt's extensive dental work, Debra stated that Stadt's body could still be identified by his teeth. Rogers replied in a manner prosecutors interpreted as an admission that failing to remove the teeth had been his only mistake. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Ron Stadt Age: (20), Date of Death: 1993-06-24

Suspected Victims:

Marie Ann Watson Age: (27), Date of Death: November 21, 1977

Ramon Rogers - Wikipedia