Parents of Student Murdered by Maintenance Man Sue Apartment Complex

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Updated: 10:52 PM Feb 8, 2010 Parents of Student Murdered by Maintenance Man Sue Apartment Complex He pleaded guilty to murder late last year, now the case of a maintenance worker who killed a Blinn student is back in court. Posted: 10:11 PM Feb 8, 2010 Reporter: Ashlea Sigman Email Address: Sigman@kbtx.com

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He pleaded guilty to murder late last year, now the case of a maintenance worker who killed a Blinn student is back in court.

The parents of 20-year-old Jenna Verhaalen are suing the Bryan apartment complex where she was killed. Verhaalen was strangled at the Autumn Woods Apartments in 2008, by 27-year-old maintenance worker Jeremiah Rosser.

The suit claims Autumn Woods ignored complaints made about Rosser. Specifically, a complaint they claim Jenna made to Rosser's boss, when he entered her apartment while she was in the shower. The suit alleges the complex's negligence led to Jenna's death.

Attorneys for Autumn woods said management had no reason to believe Rosser was a risk.

However, that's not what the complex's corporate office told News Three in 2008. Back then, a spokesperson said Jenna complained to the maintenance supervisor about Jeremiah Rosser, but never filed a complaint with the office.

Rosser quit his job at Autumn Woods several days after Jenna's death. When police arrested him, nearly seven months later, he still had working keys to some of the apartments.

The Verhaalens are suing for Jenna's physical pain and suffering as well as their emotional pain. The case is set for trial in May.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 16, 2010 at 02:32 PM

Yea the money wont bring her back!!! And DID she ever compain to anyone one other than family or friends NO SHE DID NOT!!! Family needs to just move on she has

Posted by: someone on Feb 11, 2010 at 01:01 PM

i hope that the verhaalen family gets through all this as healthy as possible. if sueing the appartments is going to put everyone to justice then so be it... i hope they win millions. its clearly not about the money, they just want everyone held responsible for their actions or the lack there of. the maintance guys just walking in jennas appartment is not just a one time thing... it was just that one time they may have been caught... who knows what they have taken or snooped into while the other tendents were gone.. the owners of the complex will definately think again before ignoring their residents... thats for sure. I hope the law suit puts the complex through such a struggle they have to sell it to a more responsible owners... it would be best for everyone, including the residents who are already living there...

Posted by: To Rez on Feb 11, 2010 at 06:28 AM

"Mantinance guys have to knock here, they can not walk in, it is in the apartment lease." And if they DO knock and you don't hear them because you are in the shower, you think that DEMANDING Managemnet FIRE THEM IMMEDIATELY (because they MIGHT come back later seeking revenge) is perfectly reasonable and not a crusade (per mom)? I'm NOT saying that this is what DID happen; Rosser may have had a hundred complaints from 50 other residents or a record of beating up girlfriends, or any of a dozen other "red flags" that WOULD have warranted firing him. If so, it will come out in court, where it can be verified. But so far, the ONE complaint (which could have had an innocent explaination) is ALL that the parents have come forward with as proof of negligence, since the complex didn't learn about the keys until well after the murder. Mom's opinion is that it's so obvious that the complex is wrong that the only reason to convene a jury is to set punishment; mine is that more facts help.

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