Octavia Rogers: Phoenix mom who butchered her three sons enters new plea that could see her released in future

Phoenix, Arizona: On May 19, 2016, Octavia Rogers, a Phoenix mother, murdered her three young sons — Jaikare Rahaman, 8, Jeremiah Adams, 5, and Avery Robinson, 2 months — inside their townhouse. After stabbing them multiple times, Rogers attempted to dismember their bodies, placing one of the children in a suitcase and hiding the others in a closet. Following the murders, Rogers attempted to harm herself by stabbing and drowning herself in the bathtub, but she survived her injuries.

Now, over eight years later, Rogers has entered a plea of "guilty except insane", potentially opening the door for her eventual release from state custody. Rogers initially pleaded not guilty to the charges of premeditated first-degree murder.

As her case progressed, the defense revisited the circumstances of her mental state at the time of the murders. After years of legal battles, psychological and medical experts from both the state and the defense, as well as the court, unanimously agreed that Rogers was legally insane at the time of the crime.

Under this plea, Rogers will serve a life sentence in the Arizona State Hospital. However, the plea also mandates periodic hearings every two years to assess her mental state. At any of these hearings, the court could decide to keep Rogers in the hospital, transfer her to a prison, adjust the conditions of her sentence, or even release her altogether if she is deemed no longer a threat to herself or society.

Rogers' mother, who has stood by her daughter throughout the legal process, expressed the emotional toll the case has taken. "It broke my heart because that's my baby, regardless of what she is accused of," she said. "That's still my baby, and I love her."

The next hearing is scheduled for December 1, where the court will reassess Rogers' mental state and determine her future.