Grief, dismay: Mother's family holds press conference Monday about death of toddler

By NANCY KIMBALL

The Daily Inter Lake

The mother of Loic Rogers, the 3-year-old boy whose body was found in an Evergreen home's septic tank Friday night after an intensive two-day search, held a press conference Monday night to thank the community but repeat her claim that, with proper supervision, her son would be alive today.

"I feel very strongly it was just gross neglect," Ariel Rogers said. "It should not have happened."

She is separated from the boy's father, Mark Rogers. The two have been engaged in a custody battle over Loic and an older brother and sister. Mark Rogers has remained private throughout his grief, but has communicated with the public through his sister-in-law, Sara Kavanagh.

Ariel Rogers joined her fianc/, Jesse James, family members and attorney KayLynn Lee, in talking about the boy who was "smiling, happy - that's how we remember him," said Loic's grandmother Tammy DiMeglio.

But they also complained that they have not received direct information from the Flathead County Sheriff's Office since Loic was discovered drowned Friday.

"Technically, we have gotten no feedback from authorities," since Loic's body was found, said family spokeswoman Bobbie Anderson. She is James' sister. "We heard the cause of death from the press, not from [Flathead County Sheriff Mike] Meehan."

Meehan is leading the investigation.

Loic went missing after his father set him beside the family van parked in the driveway at Tommie Cates' home about 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24, then returned to the house for the other two children. Rogers and his children had had dinner at the friend's house that evening. Meehan said Rogers reported he could not find his son upon returning two minutes later, then searched for 20 or 30 minutes before calling 911 and notifying his wife.

By the time the toddler's body was found, as many as 200 volunteers had joined law enforcement and search-and-rescue teams.

Throughout the search, Anderson said the family was kept well informed. But once investigation into the death began, she and her brother said at the press conference, that stopped.

"If you guys weren't doing your job," James told a half-dozen members of the press who gathered at the press conference, "we wouldn't know what was happening now."

Rogers, too, expressed dismay, but added, "I understand they have a job to do, and if they can't keep me informed … [eventually] we will find out.

"I know they're not going to quit until they get all the answers," she added later.

"We want to know that no rock is left unturned," James said. When the investigation is done and conclusions released, "we hope they agree with what we think. Our thoughts may be different from theirs. Everybody has their own opinion."

When asked whether she intends to pursue action if those two sets of conclusions do not agree, Rogers responded, "That will be up to our counsel."

"We have to be able to sleep at night," James said.

James was identified on a placard at the press conference as Loic's stepfather though the couple is not married.

Rogers, who is pregnant with her fourth child, was evaluated in a hospital after learning of her son's death. Doctors reportedly monitored for signs of stress in Rogers and her unborn baby.

Lee said the family would reserve comment on the issue of negligence in Loic's death.

In an earlier letter released to the press, Rogers said she felt uncomfortable with her children being in Cates' home. She said Cates had watched Loic previously, but not, James added, while he was in Ariel Rogers' care.

James and Rogers' sister, Amber Weprek, said their concern extended beyond Loic to the care given to Mark and Ariel Rogers' other two children.

"No matter whose care he was in," DiMeglio said, "there should have been an adult to care" for him.

Maternal family members plan a Thursday evening memorial service, while the father's family is planning a memorial service Thursday afternoon.

Rogers said she was invited to the afternoon service, but said she did not know whether other family members were invited, as well.

She said Loic's body will be cremated.

"Both Mark and I felt he didn't need to be in the ground any more," Rogers said.

Then, referring to their son's love of toy cars, she said the funeral home director asked whether the family had a preference on what they'd like to have on the urn.

"Do you have anything with cars?" Rogers said she asked. "They said, 'That's exactly what Mark said.' And we both picked out the same urn."

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com