Cold-case murder convictions upheld
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday upheld murder convictions and two consecutive life sentences against a man found guilty of killing two teenagers in the 1990s.
In 2010, Eric Rogers was convicted of killing 14-year-old Mark Birmingham in 1991 by shooting him in the chest in the woods near his DeKalb County home and also killing 18-year-old Darnell Patterson three years later with a fatal gunshot to his head. Patterson had been sexually abusing both victims, the court's unanimous ruling said.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
