Eve Rogers: Stepfather Charged with Sexual Assault After 12-Year-Old Homeschooled Girl Found Dead in Enfield Home

A 39-year-old stepfather in Enfield, Connecticut has been charged with first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor following the death of his stepdaughter, 12-year-old Eve Rogers.

According to police reports, the victim was discovered unresponsive on her bedroom floor last month under circumstances that police have described as suspicious.

The suspect, Anthony Federline, was taken into custody by Enfield police after an investigation, and he is scheduled to appear in court soon for arraignment on the felony charges. 

Eve Rogers 

On March 18, 2026, first responders were called to the victims home on Elm Street, and when the police arrived at the residence, they discovered the child’s body on the floor of her bedroom. 

The girl’s mother told investigators that she had not seen her daughter since the previous evening, and she explained that Eve had locked herself in her room.

She explained that it wasn't an unusual behavior for the child so she wasn't bothered. But she said that she became concerned the following morning when her daughter failed to respond to knocking, so she broke into the room, and found Eve on the floor.

During an investigation of the crime scene, officers located several pills near the girl’s body and other “suspicious circumstances” which prompted police to seek a search warrant for the home. 

Notably, the girl was found naked from the waist down, with additional signs pointing to possible sexual assault, so because of this, a sexual assault kit was subsequently used to collect DNA evidence from the 12-year-old.

Laboratory results from the sexual assault kit identified two foreign DNA samples from the girl’s body, and one of those samples was determined to be a strong match with the DNA swab taken from Federline., leading to his arrest. 

Authorities are still awaiting a toxicology report to determine the official cause of Eve Rogers’ death, and additional search warrants have been executed during the investigation as police seek evidence that could support a murder charge.

Body-worn camera footage below which was recently released by Enfield police has provided additional context about the days leading up to Rogers’ death, as per WTNH

The footage shows an officer stopping the 12-year-old in the early morning hours of March 11, 2026, after she admitted to stealing a Monster energy drink from a Mobil gas station down the street from her home. 

During the encounter, the officer gave the girl a courtesy ride home, and the officer ultimately paid for the stolen drink, with no charges pursued. 

The girl’s mother told the officer at that time that Eve had autism and had never before left the house without permission. The incident was reported to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, and they confirmed they investigated Rogers’ case after learning about the incident.

The state Department of Children and Families has said it is cooperating with police and Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox stated that his officers are working with DCF on the case.

 

Anthony Federline 

The crime scene 

This case has received public attention because the victim was homeschooled, and at the same time, Connecticut lawmakers are debating new rules for homeschooling families. 

According to Enfield Public Schools Superintendent Steven Moccio, Eve’s mother notified schools in September 2022 that she would be withdrawing her daughter to homeschool her “for the rest of the school year and the foreseeable future.”

Federline, had been working as a school bus driver before the alleged crime, but he was immediately terminated from his position following his arrest. The bus company also said he had passed both a criminal background check and a review of the DCF child abuse and neglect registry before being hired.

The victims Neighbors on Elm Street have expressed shock at the the alleged crime. “You never know who you’re living next to,” said Nico Turcotte, who lives on the same street. “I’m pretty sure he was a bus driver, right? I work for Enfield Public Schools, so the fact that it was one of our drivers is just baffling to me. It’s disgusting, honestly.”

State lawmakers are currently considering changes that would require the Department of Education to report families who withdraw their children from public school to the Department of Children and Families to determine whether any open cases exist with the agency. 

Homeschooling families have opposed the bill in large numbers, arguing that they are being unfairly targeted and blamed for recent tragedies. 

This includes two high-profile incidents in Waterbury and New Britain involving children who had been removed from public school for homeschooling.

Representative John Santanella, an Enfield Democrat, released a statement Friday evening describing the girl’s death as “heartbreaking.” 

While noting that House Bill 5468, the proposed legislation, “extends too far in overseeing homeschooling families who are acting in good faith,” he called for lawmakers to close “any loopholes that may allow individuals to evade accountability under the guise of homeschooling."

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