Roger Troutman Jr, the son of the late funk legend Roger Troutman, was charged with second-degree murder in 2012 for killing his girlfriend, Carolyn Marie Leete, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The case shocked the music world and added another tragic chapter to the Troutman family’s history.
The Murder of Carolyn Marie Leete
According to Dayton Daily News, on March 3, 2012, police found Leete’s body on a bed in Lynch’s home, covered in blood and bruises. She had suffered a traumatic head injury due to physical assault and had a fractured rib and nasal bones. Lynch, who was 26 at the time, told a neighbor that he had tried to throw Leete on the bed, but she missed and hit her head on the floor. He said he threw water on her to revive her, but she was unresponsive.
However, the medical examiner’s office found that Leete’s blood-alcohol level was less than 0.04 at the time of her death and that she had been beaten to death. Lynch was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He pleaded guilty in 2013 and was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
Leete was a 32-year-old artist and nanny who had dated Lynch for two to three years. Her family and friends described her as a loving, creative, and adventurous person who had a passion for music and art.
The Legacy of Roger Troutman
Roger Troutman Jr was the son of Roger Troutman, one of Dayton’s most gifted and well-known musicians, who died in 1999 in an apparent murder-suicide by his older brother Larry. Roger Troutman was the founder and leader of Zapp, a funk band that pioneered the “Dayton sound” in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was also known for his use of the vocoder “talk box” to create computerized vocals.
Zapp had several hits such as “More Bounce To The Ounce”, “I Can Make You Dance”, and “Computer Love”. Roger Troutman also had a successful solo career under the name “Roger” and collaborated with artists like Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur. His song “I Want To Be Your Man” reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1987.
The funeral for Roger and Larry Troutman drew an estimated 3,000 people to the Solid Rock Church in Monroe in 1999. Relatives, fans, and colleagues paid tribute to the music innovators who influenced generations of artists. A sculpture honoring Roger Troutman was dedicated in 2012 on the former site of his recording studio near Salem Avenue and Catalpa Drive in Dayton.
The murder of Roger Troutman Jr’s girlfriend and his subsequent conviction added another layer of sorrow to the Troutman family’s legacy. The son of a funk legend who had brought joy to millions with his music ended up taking away the life of another person who had shared his love for art.
