Chance A Loftis
Travis Hayes JenkinsTwo Cleveland, Tenn., men now face the grand jury for possible indictment on charges they beat a 46-year-old man to death and left his body adrift in a fishing boat near Grasshopper Creek Recreation Area.
Chance A. Loftis, 24, and Travis Hayes Jenkins, 28, had a preliminary hearing Monday on criminal homicide charges in the death of Donald Rogers. Fishermen found Rogers’ body partially hanging out of an aluminum fishing boat near the recreation area on April 25. Deputies arrested Loftis and Jenkins in Bradley County the same day.
Loftis’ attorney, Bill Speek, raised the possibility of a self-defense strategy when it was revealed through his cross-examination of Hamilton County Sheriff’s Detective Jeff Baker that Jenkins told police Rogers had pulled a knife as the three men argued before the attack.
Local attorney Mike Caputo is representing Jenkins.
As the trio boated in the river, Rogers struck either a log or embankment, disabling the boat after the men had spent some time searching for their campsite. Court testimony revealed all three had been drinking beer and tempers rose as the evening wore on when they couldn’t find where they had planned to camp.