This all began when Marcus convinced him that his baptism wasn’t done right so he was not saved. He urged him to let him do it again, the sooner the better. Ali, likely swayed by the authority of a superior officer and “famous” internet preacher, agreed to go along in spite of the orders posted to stay out of the area. The Army has kept the details of their investigation classified. His wife and small children were left with very few answers.
Below are the articles posted in the previous blog.
The Death of SPC Ali
In late June 2016, Marcus Rogers announced to his Facebook followers that he was about to baptize a fellow soldier who had converted from Islam. a man whom Marcus had seemingly personally led to conversion. He planned to make a video to post on social media. Having converted from Islam, Ali expressed concern in a text message and Marcus actually posted this private text message from the soldier, Spc. Dhaifal Ali. The text specifically requests that Marcus not share his information as it would be upsetting to his Muslim friends and family. Marcus ignored Ali’s request for anonymity, posting the DM from Ali asking for privacy on social media in order to promote himself and attract viewers and even posting pics after Ali’s drowning.
Ali agreed to this, so Marcus devised the plan to go to the off-limits dangerous area and bring a cameraman along. Ali should have not gone along with any of this, but let us keep in mind that Marcus was a superior officer.
July 8 2016- Ali goes missing
This was the next post on Marcus Rogers’ Facebook several days later.
The first mention of the GoFundMe, days after his body was found, July 16
Note the still, shallow water. It’s possible that this baptism was performed in a small pond adjacent to the Little West Fork Creek. There was a record-breaking 10 inches of rain in the week of July 2-8 and the creek was at flood stage.
If you keep reading about this incident you will hear Marcus repeatedly claim that he did not know that the area was off limits. He was a Staff Sergeant and was surely briefed on these orders and responsible to not only obey them but ensuring those under him understood and obeyed as well. Marcus also bolstered his claim by saying that his company had been there several times for training exercises with safety measures in place (not for casual swimming) and certainly not with flood warnings issued and roads blocked off.
No one except Marcus and one other soldier knows what happened that day. Marcus, who ranked above Ali, and therefore had a duty of care for him, took him to a dangerous, specifically off limits flooded river to perform this baptism. It should be noted that Marcus is not an ordained Army chaplain, so in addition to taking a subordinate (or two) to an off limits area, he also broke UCMJ code for the unauthorized performance of a religious ceremony. Marcus claims to have a video of the baptism and what happened afterward. He has never posted any part of that video, only a few still shots that were soon deleted by him.
His initial story was that after the baptism they all went swimming. He and his friend(the videographer) were in the water with him when the current became forceful, and could not hold on to him because the current was too strong. This account makes no mention of others being present and indicates it happened while Rogers was holding on to Ali. Later, Marcus talks about being on the shore when Ali went under while they were all swimming after the baptism and also trying to run after him with a stick on the shore. He made a statement at speaking engagement that he saw Ali drifting down the river, and Ali just waved as if to say he would be ok. He also changes his story about how many were there with them. Apparently, though he claims there were at least a few more people there according to one of his accounts, no one else tried to help. Nor were any public statements made by any of these other “witnesses”
His body was recovered on July 12th approximately 500 yards from where he was last seen.
Official Memo posted at Fort Campbell
about the off limits area. Even if Rogers says he was there with his unit before, it doesn’t excuse what he did. He needed permission to go there and to perform a baptism. He had neither..
Marcus's reaction
Marcus’s comments after- his posts came across as defensive and indifferent to followers Here he is asked repeatedly about why he changed the GoFundMe for Ali to himself. Thousands of people saw it and he received a number of donations before he changed it a day later. His ex told us that the Go Fund Me was started for Ali
Here Marcus’ ex tells us that Marcus did use Ali’s name in the GoFund Me, and that God told him to do that
Former Ft Campbell Officer Errol McInnes Exposes Marcus
Below are some comments by a former Fort Campbell officer who had reported Marcus Rogers for misconduct before the drowning. He warned Marcus’ commanding officers that Marcus’ erratic behavior was a potential danger to himself and others. Unfortunately the drowning occurred before any major interventions. This put the Army in an even more awkward position to defend Rogers after the drowning. Marcus’ case was made classified.
Marcus' false teaching about baptism may have contributed to this death.
It’s important to understand why what Rogers did that day was so egregious. Dhaifal Ali had already been baptized in a Baptist church in June. Here is a text message where he tells a friend about the ceremony plans. Both Saiko Woods and the staff of this blog have spoken directly with Ali’s pastor and confirmed this.
Text from Ali to Christian friends in June 2016- he told them he would be baptized in his Baptist church that week.
When Ali had a conversation with Rogers, Rogers told him that his baptism was not appropriate and that he was not saved unless it was done the way Rogers believed was correct. He convinced Ali that he really should do it again, and right away, so he could be sure he was really saved. Rogers explains this in YouTube comments on the huskyhusky2010 channel.
It must be noted that regarding baptism, Marcus still ascribes to the doctrine of the United Pentecostal Church, which strongly espouses that only believers baptized using their methods are saved. Part of their specific doctrine of baptism is that the believer must be fully immersed in water and that upon arising from the water, a legitimate conversion will be evidenced by an immediate episode of speaking in tongues.
At many UPC churches, including the church attended by Marcus when he was stationed at Fort Eustis in Virginia, the custom is to keep the convert in the water until the required speaking in tongues happens. Sometimes, they would submerge the person more than once, and in all cases, no one left the water until the “supernatural” manifestation of incomprehensible speech occurred.
Marcus has never answered the question- Did Dhaifal Ali speak in tongues before he drowned? Marcus shows us in this video that he still believes in 2021 that one must speak in tongues following baptism. He urges this man, coaches, pressures and pleads with him to speak in tongues til the fellow finally babbles, perhaps just to be done with the embarrassing spectacle being broadcast on a livestream.
Link to this video:
Stop Following Marcus Rogers! Water Baptism
The following days
Adding to the confusion, a local paper reports that Ali “fell” into the creek. Apparently the Army affirmed this.
Leaf Chronicle Articles
First Article- July 8- Rescue squads called to search for missing person at 5:45 on this evening. Link to read here.
Second Article- July 11-Article states person fell into water Link to read here
Third article- July 12- Body found Link to read here
Final article- July 13- Soldier Identified, Army confirms he fell into the water Link to read here
IN THE DAYS AFTER THE DROWNING, MARCUS POSTED ABOUT BEING KEPT IN CONFINEMENT, FOR HIS OWN SAFETY.
Marcus was removed from his unit and held in isolation after the drowning. He posted several updates about it. He called it a suicide watch but also said in another post that he couldn’t leave because others were “mad” at him.
In November 2016, this post (below) appeared late one night and was gone several hours later. In the video he talks about a Muslim soldier drowning, he was too heavy to save him, and there is much more but he can’t say because others are involved. The video was deleted.
Marcus implies he did nothing wrong
Local News Station Investigates
Two months after the drowning, following up on reports that the Army’s statement about the drowning did not mention the baptism, New channel 5 based in Nashville began their investigation
Nashville-based NewsChannel 5 WTVF is headlining a story today about the case of Marcus Rogers’ role in the death of SPC Dhaifal Ali In early July. You can read more here and watch the news video.
According to the News channel 5 reporter, the Fort Campbell official statements call the death an accidental drowning and did not acknowledge the baptism. When asked about it, they also did not acknowledge that Marcus Rogers was being reprimanded for inappropriate social media posts about LGBT issues and for posting live pics during training exercises.
Click here for a link to the video
When this aired, the Army investigation was still ongoing. Marcus posted repeatedly that he was being persecuted for his faith. At the time that the drowning occurred, the Army was already writing him up for recent violations of code, for posting pics on social media of proselytizing in uniform and even during training operations. (The News report shows some clips of Marcus proselytizing in uniform There have been many more that have been deleted) He began insinuating that he might be kicked out for his faith. The drowning of Ali was concerning to the investigators because Marcus had made some statements that could be construed as Islamophobic.
Around this time he also posted this, about a verbal warning for inappropriate use of social media
Final note, in a text message to a friend, Ali states he was a proficient swimmer.
Someone claiming to have known and served with Ali confirms this (comment on the YouTube video from the news report above)
After this story aired, Marcus Rogers’ friend and fellow Facebook preacher/mentor Joshua Feuerstein is calling for his 2 million + Facebook followers to call the news station to protest the story. Feuerstein’s post doesn’t mention the fact that the river was off limits and Rogers was not an authorized chaplain. as being the reason that Rogers is “under fire”
Marcus Rogers’ longtime friend makes an appeal to his followers to call the news station in protest of the story.
Marcus has been responding repeatedly. Here is one comment from this evening:
The charges against Mr Rogers center on the breaking of UCMJ (Army) regulations, among them, that he as an officer, took a subordinate into a clearly posted unauthorized area. Even if flash flood warnings were not in effect at the time, this area was off-limits to soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell.
Investigation and the outcome
Marcus has been alluding to investigations and meeting with bosses since this incident, and also has switched from talking about being deployed to full-time preaching. He has been removed from his company, and reassigned to other duties pending the results of the investigation
In December 2016, he was court-martialed. He was demoted from E6 to E5 and given a period of hard labor.
He returned to his company and continued to have discipline issues. Ultimately he left the Army in April 2018 with a general discharge (less than honorable) More about his Army career and discharge here.
More about this investigation here:
Military Justice for All summary (includes many related links)
The You Tube Videos by huskyhusky2010
YouTube Channel huskyhusky2010 has complied several videos with recorded interviews and screenshots of Marcus explaining what happened. The story changes several times as to the timeline, the people present and his response.
In this video complied by YouTube channel huskyhusky2010 Marcus tells different versions of his story
Click here to link to the video
List of huskyhusky2010’s videos in chronological order
- What Happened to Dhaifal Ali Published September 2016
- What Happened to Dhaifal Ali Pt 2 September 2016
- Justice For Dhaifal Ali Published December 2016
- Yes, I’m my brother’s keeper. His blood cries justice from the ground Published January 2017
- Marcus Rogers Fal$e Teachers Published January 2017
- I am my brother’s keeper and I will not stay silent Published February 2017
- I am my brother’s keeper and I will not stay silent pt 2 Published February 2017
- Honesty is of God and dishonesty of the devil Published March 2017
- Anniversary of Spc Dhaifal Ali’s death, July 8, 2017
- Challenge excepted, Marcus Rogers truth time Published in August 2017
- Never forgotten, Dhaifal Ali, 8th of July 2016 Published in July 2018
Trevor Smolinski- the camera man
A 2018 post is one of very few that Marcus made mention of Trevor, the man running the camera on that fateful day.
Saved Marcus??? From drowning in a creek? This doesn’t match the rest of the story. Marcus said Trevor tried to save Ali.
Phone call with Trevor
Saiko Woods has an audio recording of a phone conversation with Trevor on Jan 28, 2022 In this recording and the following video, he claims Ali died in his arms.
Click here to link to this video
Follow up text conversation on Feb 13
A Video Made with Marcus
In this video, Marcus and Trevor first act out a scene where Marcus tells the audience, he was robbed and is going to confront the thief, played by Trevor, They stage a fight, then reveal it was all an act to make a point Marcus gets back in his car and is soon joined by Trevor. Marcus says Trevor wants to give his testimony.
At 7:24 in this video Trevor gives a disturbing testimony
Link to video: Marcus Rogers Trevor Smolinski-This Dude Just Robbed Me
Sometime in 2018 or 2019 Trevor made this video, now deleted.
We recovered a copy of this video where Trevor talks of a friend dying in his arms
Link to this video
In this video, Trevor reads an emotional poem describing his struggles with depression, anxiety and PTSD. He mentions his friend, who died in his arms
Trevor made some comment that the baptism took place on July 7th
The GoFundMe Scandal
A key event in the aftermath was Rogers’ seemingly well-intentioned effort to start a GoFundMe page to assist Dhaifal’s family. He was told by his military superiors that this was not allowable. But, rather than take the page down, he instead changed it to make himself the recipient, asking for donations to aid his ministry needs, including travel expenses. despite being in the full-time military with limited ability to travel, especially while under investigation for the death of Ali. He asked for $450,000. He raised $32,000 in the next two months, which he used to buy a late model sports car. More info about that here
Ali's family
Here are some texts from a reliable source, discussing Ali’s death with Ali’s father, who still lives in Iraq. They did not get straight answers From Marcus or the Army about the death of their son.
Final notes
- The Army has classified this case. You can’t get info with a Freedom of Information Act request
- Trevor Smolinski, the other witness, has stated more than once the Ali “died in his arms”
- Trevor Smolinski said he would not say more without a lawyer
- Marcus still maintains that they were all swimming
- The creek was way above flood stage, no one could have gone swimming safely
- The alleged witnesses Marcus claims were there, apparently did not help when Ali went under. No one even came forward to say they were there.
- The official Army press report says no one one was swimming, and that Ali fell into the creek. The Army report that Ali was there with two other soldiers, not 6 or 9.
- All Ali’s family was told was that he drowned accidentally.
Rest In Peace, Dhaifal
Ali left behind his loving wife, an infant and toddler.
Drowning has been a constant theme in Marcus' ministry
These two pics with the red captions are from the video @Marcus Rogers DROWNS DHAIFAL ALI NAMES ALBUM DROWNING GLORY from the Unprofitable Servant You Tube Channel. The original video is RiseUp Revival Night One with Marcus Rogers on the You tube channel Lighthouse Church of All Nations
