Pete Rogovich was sentenced to death by the State of Arizona for four murders
According to court documents Pete Rogovich reign of terror began when he would rob a store where he would shoot and kill the clerk Tekleberhan Manna. Rogovich would head to a trailer park where he would murder Phyllis Mancuso at one home and Marie Pendergast in another. Rogovich would then shoot and kill Rebecca Carreon in the driveway of her home.
Pete Rogovich would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
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ASPC-E Rynning D/Row
PETE C. ROGOVICH 114642
PO Box 3400
Florence, AZ 85132
United States
Pete Rogovich Case
On Sunday, March 15, 1992, at 8:30 a.m., a maintenance man saw Rogovich park his car in the lot of his central Phoenix apartment complex. On the way to his apartment, Rogovich spoke to the maintenance man, telling him he was upset with his girlfriend and was going to get even with her. Rogovich then went to his second-floor apartment.
At about 8:45 a.m., a customer entered a Super Stop Market located near Rogovich’s apartment and found the body of the clerk, Tekleberhan Manna, a 24-year-old Ethiopian immigrant. Manna sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his right eye, fired from within two feet, causing instantaneous death. No money or merchandise had been taken from the store.
Around 1:00 p.m. the same day, Rogovich left his apartment with a gun in his hand and began randomly firing. At that time, Tony Madrid and Pamela Rodgers were leaving the apartment complex by car. One of Rogovich’s shots hit a rear tire. Madrid thought the car was backfiring, and when he and Rodgers momentarily got out of the car to inspect, Rogovich fired at them but missed. Rogovich then ran to the south side of the complex and jumped the fence separating the apartment complex from the neighboring trailer park.
In the trailer park, Rogovich went on what can only be described as a homicidal rampage, leaving three victims in his wake. In the laundry room, 62-year-old Phyllis Mancuso was shot once through her right cheek and neck and died within minutes. In her driveway, 48-year-old Rebecca Carreon was shot once in the back and died from loss of blood within a few minutes. Finally, in her trailer 83-year-old Marie Pendergast was shot twice in the abdomen and also died from blood loss.
Rogovich was last seen running into an open field adjacent to the trailer park. Some time later, he appeared at a restaurant parking lot where disc jockey Kelly Urich was doing promotional work for Y-95, a Phoenix radio station. Rogovich took the distinctive Y-95 van from Urich at gunpoint and drove off.
Rogovich was next seen at a convenience store in Goodyear. Inside the store, he grabbed a couple of 12-packs of beer from the cooler and approached the counter. At the counter, he put down his gun and demanded in a quiet voice, “Give me some money.” The cashier handed him about $45. Rogovich took the money, casually walked out to the Y-95 van, and drove off.
At about 5:00 p.m. Goodyear police, responding to a call concerning the convenience store robbery, spotted the Y-95 van and pursued. Although Rogovich led them on a lengthy chase at speeds ranging from 50 to over 100 miles per hour, police were finally able to stop him at a roadblock.
In interviews with the police, Rogovich admitted to committing all of the various offenses, including the murder of Tekleberhan Manna. He stated, “I did it. I know it was wrong. I know I’ll burn in hell.” When asked if he was sorry, Rogovich replied, “Of course, I’m sorry. It was wrong. I know it, but I just snapped. I was so angry. I just couldn’t stop. I was full of anger.” Rogovich told a detective that the death of his stepfather in 1986 and the recent breakup with his girlfriend really bothered him.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/az-supreme-court/1250801.html
