A 57-year-old man from Wisconsin has entered a not guilty plea concerning allegations tied to the 1996 death of John Douglas Rollins Jr., a victim whose identity remained unknown for over two decades. Roger Ewer faces charges of hindering apprehension or prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse, but he has not been charged with murder.
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The case came into the spotlight when Rollins’s body, previously referred to as “Lake Man,” was discovered in a sleeping bag floating in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, in October 1996. Initially, investigators struggled to identify the victim until a breakthrough occurred in October 2022, when DNA evidence linked Rollins’s remains to a potential family member. This development allowed authorities to confirm his identity more than 25 years after the discovery of his body.
Court documents filed with the Benton County Circuit Court suggest that Ewer played a role in concealing Rollins’s body shortly after the latter’s murder, which is believed to have taken place “sometime on or before” October 16, 1996. The legal filing indicates that Ewer allegedly discarded the corpse “in a manner offensive to a person of reasonable sensibilities,” as reported by multiple news outlets, including 5NEWS and KNWA/KFTA.
Originally from Missouri, Rollins had been living in Springdale, Arkansas, at the time of his disappearance in 1995. His remains were discovered months later by a fisherman, who stumbled upon the sleeping bag. For many years, the body was left unidentified, leading to the moniker “Lake Man” among law enforcement and the public.
The circumstances linking Ewer to Rollins’s case remain largely undisclosed. A probable cause affidavit was filed under seal before Ewer’s court appearance, suggesting that further details may still be under investigation. The judge in the case indicated that the release of additional information could hinder ongoing investigative efforts.
Ewer’s connection to the legal system predates the current charges. He was initially detained in Benton County Jail on July 10, approximately two months before the charges were formalized. Court records indicate that he was extradited from Wisconsin due to a long-standing issue involving a hot-check case in Arkansas, which had been reopened after he failed to pay restitution. Ewer had previously pleaded guilty to charges in that case in 1991.
There is still uncertainty regarding whether investigators were aware of Ewer’s alleged involvement in Rollins’s death at the time of his extradition back to Arkansas. Currently, Ewer is held in Benton County Jail on a substantial bond of $550,000, which encompasses both the new charges and his previous legal issues.
Ewer’s next court appearance is set for October 19, 2023, as both the prosecution and defence prepare their cases. As of now, no one has been charged with Rollins’s murder, leaving a significant gap in the investigation that remains open.
Officials from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the local prosecutor’s office were unable to provide additional comments regarding the case when approached by reporters. The lack of clarity around the events that led to Rollins’s death contributes to the ongoing intrigue of this decades-old mystery.
As the investigation continues, authorities are hopeful that more information will surface to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of John Douglas Rollins Jr. and to ultimately bring justice to a case that has haunted the community for so many years.