Where is Ken Rogers now after Michelle Despinasse's murder? Explained

The September 1999 murder of Michelle Despinasse in Nanuet, New York, garnered a lot of attention, especially due to a voice message that was recorded on her answering machine. The Answering Machine Murder, an Investigation Discovery program that focused on the case, identified Ken Rogers as the main suspect in the catastrophe.

The investigation proceeded swiftly, and the authorities discovered no evidence of robbery or forced entry at the house. However, the answering machine captured Michelle Despinasse's final noises, in which she begged "Ken" to leave, leading them to suspect Michelle's ex-boyfriend, Kenneth Rogers.

That tape, the testimony, and the statements regarding the acquisition of the firearm were the main focus of the case.

Kenneth Rogers was arrested soon after the murder of Michelle Despinasse. He was convicted after a trial in which recorded voices and testimony about the gun sale became key evidence. He is presently detained at Woodbourne Correctional Center after being given a sentence of 25 years to life in June 2000.

Ken's encounter with the police, Michelle Despinasse's last moments, and the court hearings were all combined into a single scene in the television program's documentary-style portrayal of the events. The program prioritized procedural and emotional elements over in-depth analysis.

The Devil Speaks's episode will return to Investigation Discovery on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 1 pm ET.

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Michelle Despinasse's murder case - All about Ken Rogers' arrest

Ken Rogers' arrest (Representative image via Pexels)

Ken Rogers was arrested at his home in the Bronx in December 1999, a few weeks after Michelle Despinasse's death, when an investigation found him a suspect. Investigators learned that Michelle and Ken had ended their five-year relationship in June 1999, but Ken was reportedly seen outside her home on the night of the murder.

Before a scream by Michelle, followed by a gunshot, the answering machine recorded Michelle saying:

"Ken... stop... will you stop,"

The recording became a direct link to the events of that night. Prosecutors used a man's testimony during the trial to claim that he sold Ken a 9mm handgun that day, which had the same bullet used in the murder. It was eventually found that Ken was lying when he said he was at a friend's video store from noon to ten o'clock that day.

In actuality, the murder was believed to have taken place about 8:20 pm, after Ken had left. The jury found Ken Rogers guilty of second-degree murder and unlawfully having a weapon. At the age of 27, he was sentenced in June 2000 to 25 years to life in prison under New York state statutes.

The verdict came after only two hours of jury deliberation, in which the responder machine recording and testimony about the weapon sale proved decisive.

Based on the information that is currently accessible, Ken Rogers is a prisoner at the Woodbourne Correctional Center located in Sullivan County, New York. Although he was deemed eligible for parole in August 2024, he is currently serving his term and has not yet received parole.

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Media portrayal and public interest explained

Public interest in murder case (Representative image via Pexels)

Investigation Discovery's The Devil Speaks's episode brought the case back into the spotlight, highlighting the recording tape and the events between Michelle Despinasse and Kenneth Roger. The show used interviews, reconstructions, and investigation sequences to demonstrate how circumstantial evidence helped the prosecution.

Interest in the case increased again after the episode aired, particularly in true-crime forums and online discussions, where viewers debated the authenticity of the evidence and the alibi of the accused.

According to publicly available information, Ken Rogers is still in prison, and no parole has been confirmed.

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To find out more about this case, watch The Devil Speaks' episode will re-air on Investigation Discovery on July 29, 2025, at 1 pm ET.