In Morgan County, Alabama, a 23-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of capital murder in a chilling case known as the “Seven Deadly Sins” murders.
John Michael Legg was sentenced on Wednesday, December 18, after a plea hearing. Just days earlier, a judge ruled him competent to stand trial. Legg’s sentence ensures he will never be eligible for parole.
The case dates back to June 4, 2020, when deputies from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting on Talacuh Road in Valhermoso Springs. What they found was nothing short of horrifying—seven people dead, some of whom had also been burned in a fire allegedly started by Legg and his co-conspirator, Frederic Allen Rogers.
The victims were identified as Tammy England Muzzey, James Benford, Jeramy Roberts, Roger Jones, William Hodgin, Emily Payne, and an unnamed juvenile girl.
After the killings, Legg and Rogers fled Alabama, heading to Oregon. On June 21, 2020, deputies in Marion County, Oregon, stopped their vehicle and detained them at gunpoint. By June 28, 2020, the pair was extradited back to Alabama to face charges.
In February 2021, the Morgan County District Attorney revealed that a grand jury had indicted both men. The charges included multiple counts of capital murder—during a robbery, as part of a single scheme, during a burglary, and in connection with arson. The district attorney initially intended to seek the death penalty.
Investigators later discovered that Legg, Rogers, and some of the victims were part of a group called the “Seven Deadly Sins.” The murders were reportedly sparked by disagreements over drugs and social media posts.
Rogers faced trial earlier this year, and while he was convicted in August, the jury chose not to give him the death penalty. Instead, he also received a life sentence without parole.
Mike Swafford, the public information officer for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, called the murders “the most horrific crime this county has seen on record.” He added that the resolution of the case might offer some closure to the victims’ families.
District Attorney Scott Anderson expressed his condolences, saying, “We can’t bring their loved ones back. We wish we could, but we can’t. Everybody is a loser in these cases. All we have to offer is justice, and we’ve done that.”
This devastating case has left an indelible mark on the community, serving as a tragic reminder of the consequences of violence and the pain it leaves in its wake.
