Diana Lynne Rogers

A 39-year-old woman from Mount Airy, Maryland, faces capital murder charges in Alabama in the death of 58-year-old woman who was found dead in a residence over the weekend, authorities said Sunday.

The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies first responded to a residence on Maiden Ct. in Athens, Alabama on Saturday, April 9, after receiving a call about a burglary. Authorities said that they found Diana Lynne Rogers in the backyard of the residence. Responding deputies said Rogers was “acting suspicious and attempted to lead the deputies away from the home.” Authorities further alleged that Rogers was in a “fighting” mood.

“When deputies attempted to detain her, she became irate and began fighting. Upon gaining control of Rogers, she was placed in cuffs,” the sheriff’s office continued.

Authorities said that the back door of the residence was open; deputies found the victim, an unidentified 58-year-old woman, dead from an apparent homicide inside the home.

Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin said in a statement that this was a “tragic crime.”

“I am very thankful for the dedication and determination of the Limestone County Sheriff’s Deputies and investigators who worked diligently throughout the day to quickly bring closure to this case,” the sheriff said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragic crime.”

The Maiden Ct. area appears to include several relatively recently constructed houses on a road ending with a cul-de-sac.

It’s unclear at this time why Rogers, a Maryland woman, was in Alabama, but she faces charges of capital murder, second-degree burglary, and obstructing a governmental operation. That last charge appears to be related to her alleged “fighting” of law enforcement.

Authorities did not identify an alleged motive and did not say whether the suspect and the victim knew one another.

Alabama Code 13A-5-40 says that murdering someone during a second-degree burglary, as is the charge here, is a capital offense:

(4) Murder by the defendant during a burglary in the first or second degree or an attempt thereof committed by the defendant.

According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect remains held at the Limestone County Detention Center.

[Limestone County Sheriff’s Office]

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