Sept. 11, Jefferson County Criminal District Judge John Stevens sentenced a Nederland man to 15 years in prison for his role in a woman’s death that resulted from her being pushed out of a moving vehicle and drug.
Lonnie Rodgers, 51, previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the October 2021 death, admitting fault in the death of 27-year-old Madison Martinez on Lake Arthur Drive in Port Arthur. Rodgers admitted to recklessly causing the death of another by causing his vehicle to run over the victim.
“I was told she held on to the back of my vehicle and got drug,” Rodgers said during court. “Somehow, I guess… she was drug.”
“I swear I thought she was sitting on the ground, crying,” Rodgers told the probation interviewer prior to his Sept. 11 sentencing. “Law enforcement said I pushed her away from the truck causing her death.”
Prosecutor Mike Laird argued that Rodgers’ explanation to the probation department was an attempt to reduce his culpability in the crime. According to Laird, this isn’t the first time Rodgers victimized someone and downplayed his involvement.
Laird detailed a prior conviction wherein Rodgers pleaded guilty to a 2009 accident involving injury or death. Rodgers, Laird read from the indictment, “Did then and there knowingly leave the scene … without providing reasonable assistance...”
Rodgers said he, too, was injured in the 2009 accident.
“This would be a miscarriage of justice,” Laird suggested to allow probation. “He needs to be off the streets as long as possible. He’s hurt a lot of people.”
Stevens sentenced Rodgers to serve 15 years in prison, and found that a deadly weapon – namely, a vehicle – was used in the commission of the crime; due to the finding that a deadly weapon was used, Rodgers must serve half of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Afterwards, a family member of the victim gave allocution, a chance to speak to the person that caused the death of their loved one in the open court.
“You have destroyed so many lives besides Madison’s,” the victims aunt detailed, saying that the victim’s sister died soon thereafter, as did the victim’s boyfriend. “You decided she was a dog. You decided to push her off that car. You decided you were God and wasn’t going to help her.
“You should’ve got life for what you did.”