TESTIMONY: Brutal Casper Stabbing Stemmed From Argument Over Mattress
GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: The below story contains a description of a November 2019 murder-rape in Casper. Discretion is strongly advised.
Mary Fogle spent the final hours of her life arguing with her son-in-law before he brutally beat and stabbed her to death, according to testimony heard Tuesday.
Anthony Rodriguez is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder and domestic battery in connection to Fogle's November 17, 2019 stabbing death. Prosecutors further allege that, after stabbing Fogle, Rodriguez raped her.
Rodriguez has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental illness to the charges
During the trial Tuesday afternoon, Allison Solis — Fogle's daughter and Rodriguez's wife — testified to the events leading up to the alleged murder and the murder itself.
Solis testified that she and Rodriguez moved in with Fogle rent-free in September 2019. At first, Rodriguez got along with his mother-in-law, but as weeks went by, their relationship soured.
On top of his strained relationship with his mother-in-law, Rodriguez became delusionally paranoid. Solis testified that Rodriguez made remarks to a friend that Solis and her mother were out to get him and trying to send him to prison.
On November 17, 2019, Fogle paid an 8:30 a.m. visit to her hairstylist, who testified that Fogle seemed off that day.
That afternoon, Fogle had a mattress delivered for Solis and Rodriguez to use. However, Rodriguez reportedly fumed over a stain on it when it was delivered. Solis testified that Rodriguez's disagreement with Fogle reached such a point that he was "causing a scene."
The mattress was ultimately sent back.
During Rodriguez's reported argument with Fogle, he texted a friend and accused Solis and Fogle of conspiring against him. Rodriguez would later call that same friend from jail and accuse Solis of stabbing Fogle to death.
Later that afternoon, sometime around 4 p.m., Solis said she heard Rodriguez and Fogle arguing over a dirty mattress cover. Rodriguez had washed it and wanted to put it in the dryer, but Fogle said it would shrink the cover.
Then, Solis said, she heard her mother scream.
"He just kept punching her and punching her," Solis said Tuesday. "He wouldn't stop."
Solis said when she tried to pull Rodriguez off of her mother, he punched her and told her she would be next.
At some point during the killing, Solis said that Rodriguez remarked, "Oh she's not dead yet. I better make sure she's dead."
Prosecutors contend that Rodriguez rolled Fogle's body onto her stomach, pulled down both their pants and raped her.
Solis said she covered her eyes through the ordeal, but the sounds she heard were obviously that of someone having sex. She was an arm's length away throughout the incident.
"I was assuming she was dead because there was a lot of blood," Solis testified.
Rodriguez reportedly told Solis, "Now I finally know what it's like to f--- your mom."
After the killing, Rodriguez allegedly tried to clean up the scene. Investigators found out-of-place cleaning supplies and blood patterns consistent with someone trying to wipe up blood.
Solis testified that she did as Rodriguez instructed because she feared for her life. Rodriguez allegedly said, "Don't think about leaving this house to get help or you're going to be dead next to your mother."
Before leaving, Solis said Rodriguez covered Fogle's body with the same mattress cover they were arguing over.
"At least she's covered," Rodriguez allegedly said.
The trial will continue Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. If convicted, Rodriguez faces life with the possibility of parole.
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