Carlos Rogers was a 28-year-old father of two who loved to fish and swim, spend time with his big extended family, and make people happy.
He had plans to right the course of his life after getting out of prison last May, according to his family. But less than two weeks later — in the early hours of June 11 — he was gunned down outside Born’s Bar on Rice Street in St. Paul.
Rogers’ family and friends packed a Ramsey County courtroom Wednesday to try to convince the judge sentencing the man convicted of aiding and abetting his murder to give him the maximum penalty for his crime.
Jurors found Justin Darrell Reynolds, 29, of St. Paul guilty in February of two counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder in Rogers’ shooting death.
“He loved his life and he respected everyone … you have left us with a great hole in our hearts,” Rogers’ aunt, Kimberly Jennings, told Reynolds at the hearing.
His sister told District Judge Judith Tilsen about the pictures of Rogers she has on nearly every wall of her house.
“I’m upset I wasn’t there to make sure he was OK like a big sister should,” she said of what it’s like to think of her brother bleeding to death on the street. “I wish we had more time to take pictures. They say time heals all wounds. I guess this one hit an artery because this one just won’t stop bleeding.”
Rogers’ family and friends, many wearing T-shirts with his picture on them, filled five rows inside the courtroom. Several sobbed throughout the hearing.
Reynolds stood quietly with his hands behind his back during the proceeding. He declined to address the court.
Despite his attorneys attempts to convince her that circumstances of Reynolds’ trial made him worthy of a shorter term, Tilsen sentenced him to about 32 years in prison.
One of his two defense attorneys, Michael Padden, argued in a court motion that both an enhanced version of the bar’s video of the shooting, which he had modified by a videographer, as well as additional evidence never presented at trial showed that his client was not the shooter.
Jurors did watch the original footage of the shooting captured on the bar’s video cameras.
Padden went on to accuse prosecutors of ignoring key evidence in the case because they were intent on convicting Reynolds.
The defense alleged that Charles Frye, Reynolds’ former co-defendant in the case, was the real shooter.
The state dismissed the second-degree murder charges he previously faced in November, citing “developments regarding a key witness.”
Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Dawn Bakst disputed Padden’s assertions Wednesday, saying the jury reached different conclusions about the video and that an enhanced version of it created by someone hired by the defense should not be considered at his sentencing.
Tilsen agreed.
“This trial has been litigated. … This trial has been to a jury and we have a verdict,” Tilsen said.
Rogers was fatally shot in the face after he became entangled in a dispute with Reynolds and Frye outside the bar, according to court documents.
At some point, Reynolds took out a gun and shot Rogers, according to the criminal complaint.
Authorities previously stated that Reynolds shot after Frye told him to “get” Rogers. Rogers and Frye had ill will stemming from a 2011 homicide, court documents say.
Reynolds has three children, including a newborn.
His attorneys plan to appeal his conviction, saying the state railroaded him.
“He is completely innocent,” Padden said.”We have no doubt that this case will be overturned on appeal.”