Murder Trial Tossed Out In Chaska Bar Stabbing Death

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Carver County judge tossed out the trial of a 32-year-old Minneapolis man on Wednesday in connection with the June 3, 2011 stabbing death of a man outside a Chaska Bar.

The Carver County judge tossed out the trial, saying that Jesse James Rogers acted in self-defense in the stabbing death of 35-year-old Justin David Foster. The case was dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Foster was stabbed to death in the early morning hours of June 3, 2011, outside Kelley's Bar in Chaska after a fight involving several men that started inside the bar and spilled out into the parking lot. Rogers was one of three men accused of being involved in Foster's death after an altercation involving Foster.

Authorities said Rogers and his brother were allegedly assaulted in the bar after they came onto a woman inside the bar. Evidence in the trial revealed that Rogers then got in the woman's face and called her racist. The woman became aggressive, and Rogers allegedly shoved her. Another man then got involved and hit Rogers, who then walked out of the bar and saw another man who was involved in the incident.

Evidence in the trial was also presented showing about 200 exhibits including more than 20 witnesses. The team prosecuting against Rogers said he got out of his car, charged at Foster in the bar parking lot and stabbed him five times. The prosecution argued none of the other men involved had any weapons. Rogers' defense argued that he was pulled out of his car and jumped, and was acting in self-defense.

Foster's family released a statement saying they are "devastated and hurt that the judge didn't allow the jury to decide the case." The fact that the jury never even got to decide the case was "shocking."