A 52-year-old Colorado man has been charged with stalking and killing his estranged wife, with a single gunshot to the head.
Ronald Elton Lowry was taken into custody last week and charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, stalking, and tampering with evidence in the 2023 slaying of 42-year-old Richelle Lowry, according to authorities.
Richelle was Found Dead with Her Cellphone Submerged in Water
According to a news release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office, deputies with the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office on Oct. 26, 2023, responded to a call requesting a welfare check at Richelle Lowry's home in Bennett, Colorado, which is about 30 miles east of Denver. The caller reported that the victim had failed to report to work and they could not get in touch with her.
When deputies arrived at the residence, they knocked on the door but received no response, prompting them to force their way into the home. Inside, they found Richelle Lowry dead "with a single gunshot wound to the head" and her cellphone submerged in water.
"Although the death initially raised questions over whether it was a suicide, it was later determined to be a homicide based on an extensive investigation involving forensic analysis and digital evidence review," the release states.
Ronald Lowry was a 'Jealous' Man, Hated Her and the New Man with Whom She was Now Romantically Involved with
New court records obtained by local Colorado outlet KUSA include statements from investigators who believed that Ronald Lowry was a jealous man who harbored a great deal of hatred toward his estranged wife and the new man with whom she was romantically involved.
The documents state that Ronald Lowry stalked Chelle and recorded her with a boyfriend before her death, and that security camera footage allegedly captured a man resembling Ronald Lowry near her home at the time of her death.
Court documents obtained by the outlet also cite friends and family of Chelle, who claimed that she told a friend that she would never take her own life. "[If] anything happened to her, Ronald would be responsible. Richelle was very adamant that she would not kill herself," the court records state, per KUSA.
Ronald Stood To Gain $1.3 Million in Life Insurance Payout if Richelle Lowry Committed Suicide
If his wife's death were ruled a suicide, Ronald Lowry reportedly stood to gain more than $1.3 million in life insurance proceeds.
Richelle Lowry's family similarly refused to believe her death was a suicide, emphasizing that she was just a few days away from finalizing her divorce with Ronald Lowry.
Ronald Lowry was booked into the Morgan County Jail Friday.
