Indianapolis — The man police say shot and killed an Indianapolis doctor at his northwest side home in 2017 was sentenced to 50 years in prison Thursday in Marion County Criminal Court.
Nineteen-year-old Devon Seats was just 16 when Dr. Kevin Rodgers was murdered during an attempted home robbery.
Three other suspects, all teenagers at the time of the killing, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and have already been sentenced.
Seats also agreed to plead guilty to a murder charge, then changed his mind at what was supposed to be his February sentencing hearing. Two weeks later, Marion County Criminal Court Judge Barbara Cook Crawford ruled against Seats, saying the plea could not be withdrawn.
With relatives and friends of the doctor gathered in a downtown Indianapolis courtroom Thursday, Seats received his sentence.
In reaction to the sentence, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears stated, “This horrific crime was a blatant disregard for human life. This is a tremendous loss not only for the Rodgers’ family but the entire community. Today’s sentence holds the shooter accountable for his actions and finally closes this painful chapter for the Rodgers’ family."
According to investigators, Dr. Kevin Rodgers was home and confronted the four people when they broke in. He was shot and his body was found by his wife.
The 61-year-old Indianapolis doctor specialized in emergency medicine and was President of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine at the time of his death. He served as a volunteer doctor on medical missions to Haiti and was a team doctor at Cathedral High School where he helped coach the lacrosse team for many years.
Dr. Kevin Rodgers is survived by wife Ruth and four sons.
