March 4, 2007 — Police Detective Joel Dowdye is guilty of first-degree murder and the other charges against him, a jury decided Sunday afternoon.
"Justice was definitely served in this case," said prosecuting attorney Cornelius Williams. "It shows that no one is above the law. And the families are really pleased."
Dowdye's trial came to a close around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, after jurors found him guilty on charges of murder in the first degree, attempted murder in the first degree, first-degree assault and the unlawful use of a deadly weapon. He will be sentenced at 2 p.m. April 4.
In March 2006, Police charged Dowdye with murdering his ex-girlfriend, Sherett James, and injuring her companion, Daren Stevens, at the Bunker Hill Hotel on St. Thomas.
The first-degree murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole, Williams said. James, killed at age 22, sustained two wounds during the shooting but died from a single shot to the back of the head.
The sentence for the attempted first-degree murder charge — which applies to the injuries Stevens sustained during the shooting — ranges from five to 15 years, Williams said Sunday evening. Stevens sustained one gunshot wound to the stomach and another to the back, which punctured a lung and left bullet fragments in his chest.
During the trial, Williams alleged that Dowdye, motivated by jealousy, traveled to Bunker Hill with the intention of killing both victims after seeing them together the night before at the Greenhouse Bar and Restaurant.
On Friday, however, Dowdye maintained that he went to the hotel after receiving a phone call from James during the early morning hours of March 25, 2006. While on the stand, Dowdye added that he only fired his weapon after he and Stevens became involved in a struggle.
Dowdye said he did not see James in the hotel room that morning.
According to witnesses in the courtroom, Dowdye remained calm and emotionless after the verdict came down, only taking the time to speak briefly to his mother.
Attorney Stephen Brusch, who defended Dowdye, could not be reached for comment Sunday.
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