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(THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Young County Sheriff Travis Babcock (center) walks down High Street in Newcastle with deputies where a shooting occurred Sunday, Aug. 17.
A Newcastle man facing a murder charge had a motion to reduce his bond denied last week in district court.
John Edward Rogers, 70, was arrested Sunday, Aug. 17 in Newcastle for the fatal shooting of Justin Garland, 35, of Graham.
Rogers' attorney filed a motion in November to reduce his bond for the murder charge from $1 million to $30,000 stating that he had insufficient funds and was unable to raise funds to post a cash bond or pay a bail bondsman for a surety bond.
The motion to reduce his bond was denied by District Judge Phillip Gregory and will remain at $1.3 million, including his charge for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Rogers was previously convicted of murder in 1986 and was indicted by a Young County grand jury for the 2025 fatal shooting in October.
The indictment enhanced his potential sentence to life in prison of not more than 99 years or less than 25 years due to another murder he was convicted of in Stephens County in May 1986.
The enhancement also included a prior conviction in Young County in May 1999 for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
First responders were dispatched Aug. 17 to High Street in Newcastle for a shooting that involved two male individuals.
Rogers was booked into the Young County Jail the same day for the two charges.
The Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers were called in to assist the Young County Sheriff’s Office with the shooting.
“The investigation revealed that two males living at the same address but in different residences had a dispute. During the dispute, one of the males shot the other,” DPS wrote.
Since being arrested in August, Rogers has remained in the Young County Jail on $1.03 million bond.
