Family Wants to See More Investigation Into Death

SACRAMENTO — Although a grand jury investigation into the cocaine-related death of former Maryland basketball star Len Bias has resulted in several indictments, the investigation by Sacramento Police into Don Rogers’ cocaine death ended two weeks ago. No charges were filed.

Family and friends of Rogers, the former UCLA and Cleveland Browns football star, say they would like the investigation reopened.

“I don’t like re-living it, but if there’s a chance they can get who gave Donald the drugs, I wouldn’t mind it going to the grand jury,” said Loretha Rogers, Don’s mother. “It wouldn’t bring Donald back, but it might save others.”

Leslie Nelson, who was Rogers’ fiancee, said she believes the Sacramento Police did not properly investigate what happened at Rogers’ bachelor party June 26 and also what transpired at his mother’s house the next morning, when Rogers ingested a fatal dose of cocaine.

“What is really sad is, after he died, (the police) did not check the hotel where the party was,” Nelson said. “But then, they tried to relate everything to the bachelor party when he died the next morning at 10:30 at his mother’s house. Who’s to say what went on? They didn’t search the house until a few days passed.

“I’d like to see justice done. Nobody caused his death. It was self-inflicted. But somebody had to give (the cocaine) to him.”

Sgt. Bob Burns, a spokesman for the Sacramento Police, said that a thorough investigation was made.

“All the evidence was sent to the Sacramento district attorney’s office, but they determined there wasn’t enough to make any indictments,” Burns said. “We talked to almost everyone involved. There were several possible suspects. We had tips from people in the neighborhood but no solid evidence.”

Burns said the hotel suite in which the party had been held was not checked because a maid had already cleaned it the next morning. He also said that police waited until Loretha Rogers was discharged from a hospital--she had suffered a heart attack the day after Rogers’ death--to search the house and interview family members.

“The media keep trying to equate this to the Len Bias case, but each case is different,” Burns said. “This also was not a John Belushi case, where somebody actually injected the drug into him. The most we could possibly indict somebody on would be furnishing narcotics to an individual. For that, we’d almost need a confession.”