Jason Rogers, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Bolivar Junior High in Missouri, died on or about August 8, 2023, from diabetic ketoacidosis after going days without taking his prescribed insulin for Type 1 diabetes, which he had been diagnosed with approximately 18 months earlier. His father, Justin Rogers, 38, who had full legal custody, was charged with felony abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death after investigators determined he did nothing to help his son despite the boy being visibly ill, vomiting, and moaning in pain for approximately three days. The child wore a glucose monitoring system that sent high glucose alerts to the father's phone, but the father had turned off the notifications. The father, who was reportedly intoxicated when emergency services arrived, told investigators the teen didn't like taking his medication and claimed he didn't know how much insulin to administer, despite having received medical education on diabetes management. The child had a blood glucose level of over 500 and died at a local hospital.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Both articles describe clear medical neglect. The News-Leader article states the teen "went days without taking his prescribed insulin and 'would lay on the floor and moan in pain.'" The father "didn't know how much insulin to administer, despite previously receiving an education from medical professionals about how to help treat his son's disease." Further, the father had turned off glucose monitoring notifications on his phone, and "did not attempt to make calls to emergency services in the days leading up to his son's death." The KY3 article corroborates that "Rogers did nothing for the boy, who had been sick for three days from high levels of diabetes."
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Justin Rogers is consistently described as the child's "father" in both articles. The News-Leader article states "Justin Rogers had full legal custody of his son." While the word "biological" is never explicitly used, the natural language of "his father" and "his son" throughout both articles, along with no mention of adoption or step-parentage, strongly implies a biological father-son relationship. The father's neglect is the central cause of the child's death.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Both articles confirm Justin Rogers was charged. The News-Leader article states: "Justin Rogers, 38, was charged Jan. 29 with felony abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death." The KY3 article states: "Justin Rogers faces charges of abuse or neglect of a child, resulting in death." The KY3 article also confirms he was arrested.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The News-Leader article states: "Bolivar Police said it had 29 previous calls to service that involved Justin Rogers, some of which resulted in criminal charges." These are prior criminal charges predating and separate from the current felony abuse/neglect charge related to his son's death.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Both articles reference the father's substance use. The KY3 article states "Rogers was under the influence at the time." The News-Leader article states the father "was reportedly intoxicated when emergency services arrived at the home" and that Bolivar Police had "29 previous calls to service that involved Justin Rogers, some of which resulted in criminal charges, and that was he was 'visibly intoxicated' during each."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. The News-Leader article reveals that the child wore a glucose monitoring system synced to his father's cellphone, but the father "had reportedly turned off notifications and did not receive the alerts." This represents an active decision to disable a safety mechanism. Additionally, the father claimed he "didn't know how much insulin to administer, despite previously receiving an education from medical professionals about how to help treat his son's disease." Furthermore, Bolivar Police reported "29 previous calls to service that involved Justin Rogers, some of which resulted in criminal charges, and that was he was 'visibly intoxicated' during each," suggesting a prolonged pattern of substance use and police contact that preceded the child's death. The father also had full legal custody of the child, meaning there was no other custodial parent involved in the child's care.
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