Man pleads guilty to second-degree murder after 2020 hit-and-run in Wilmington
A man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after a 2020 hit-and-run that left a woman dead in Wilmington.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after a 2020 hit-and-run that left a woman dead in Wilmington.
Austin Hall pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, felony hit and run causing death, felony death by motor vehicle, misdemeanor driving while impaired, and misdemeanor reckless driving on Thursday evening in New Hanover County with a max punishment of 727 months.
HAPPENING NOW: Austin Hall is pleading guilty to second degree murder, felony hit and run causing death, felony death by motor vehicle, misdemeanor driving while impaired, and misdemeanor reckless driving with a max punishment of 727 months.
— Sydney Bouchelle (@sydbouchelletv) July 14, 2022
In June 2020, Hall hit 45-year-old Jannon Rogers on Hillside Drive in Wilmington just before 11 pm. Rogers was found laying in the roadway by her neighbors.
In court on Thursday, the attorney representing Rogers and her family tearfully recounted what happened on that night. Rogers and her husband, Scott, were going through an amicable separation. Their son, Cooper, was spending the night with his dad in Cary the night of the incident. Rogers had just finished a Facetime call with her husband and son where they said their nightly prayers “for the last time.”
According to the attorney, Hall’s blood alcohol content was .18 around six hours after the incident.
Hall addressed the court, saying he “couldn’t be more sorry.” He says he prays about that night a lot and finds it difficult to forgive himself. Hall said that he hopes the family can someday forgive him but would understand if they do not. He says he plans to get involved with the community, potentially a rehab facility, to help others struggling with addiction in an effort to help prevent a similar tragedy from happening.
Scott and Cooper Rogers both addressed the court, asking the judge to consider the maximum sentence for the crimes.
“No parent should have to tell their child their mother has been run over and left to die on the side of the road,” Scott Rogers said in court.
The judge sentenced Hall to a minimum of 12 years in prison. The two years he has already served will count towards his time served.
