Robert Rozier
| No. 75 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | July 28, 1955 | ||
| Place of birth: | Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| College: | California | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1979 / Round: 9 / Pick: 228 | ||
| Career history | |||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
Robert Earnest Rozier (born July 28, 1955) is a former American football defensive end and convicted serial killer who played in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. After leaving football, he became involved with "The Brotherhood", a Black Supremacist cult led by Yahweh ben Yahweh. He is currently serving 25 years to life on a conviction for check kiting under a third strike law.
Early years and football
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Rozier attended Cordova High School in Rancho Cordova, California. He then attended Aberdeen Junior College before transferring to the University of California at Berkeley, where he played defensive end for the football team. He was drafted in the 9th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals (pick 228 overall).[1][2]
He played in six games before being released, allegedly for issues involving drugs.[3] Rozier then played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1980. He also spent two weeks as a member of the Oakland Raiders.[4]
Yahweh ben Yahweh
After a series of petty crimes, Rozier found Yahweh ben Yahweh's Miami-based "Temple of Love" in 1982. After first serving a six-month prison sentence, he moved into the temple full-time, and changed his name to "Neariah Israel" (Child of God).[5]
Murders
In 1985, he decided to join "The Brotherhood", Yahweh's secret group, that required murdering a "white devil" and returning with a body part to join it. Rozier would admit to killing seven white people to please Yahweh.[6][7] He was arrested and charged with murder on October 31, 1986. After agreeing to testify against Yahweh's organization, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. After serving ten years of the sentence, Rozier was set free in 1996.[3]
Rearrest
Rozier was placed in the witness protection program under the name Robert Ramses. On February 5, 1999, he was arrested for passing a bad check for $66 to pay for a car repair. After finding Rozier's true identity, police discovered a trail of 29 bounced checks totaling more than $2,000, and charged him with a felony.[8] He was convicted, and under a third strike law, Judge Eddie T. Keller sentenced Rozier to serve 25 years to life.[9] Rozier is incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison.
References
- ↑ "ROZIER profile". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑ Ralph Hickok (2009-02-18). "1979 NFL Draft". Hickoksports.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- 1 2 "Convicted killer, former football player, says he's sorry for slaying". Associated Press. March 6, 1999.
- ↑ "Yahweh sect member's story of frustration, violence unraveled". Lakeland Ledger. November 30, 1986. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1992-03-29/news/mn-487_1_yahweh-ben-yahweh
- ↑ Scheeres, Julia. "Yahweh ben Yahweh cult". Crime Library. truTV. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ↑ Walsh, Anthony (2005). African Americans and Serial Killing in the Media: The Myth and the Reality. Homicide Studies Vol. 9, No. 4, November 2005 271-291 DOI: 10.1177/1088767905280080
- ↑ Hecht, Peter (May 15, 2000). "Check case may trip up former cult killer". Sacramento Bee.
- ↑ "'80s cult killer gets 'third strike' term for passing bad checks". Sacramento Bee. January 13, 2001.