Rex Fowler Guilty Of 1st Degree Murder [video]

thedenverchannel.com ~ After just two hours of deliberation, an Adams County jury found Rev.Rex Fowler guilty of first-degree murder in the slaying of his former business partner. Fowler, 59, was immediately sentenced to life in prison.

The fact that Fowler shot and killed Thomas Ciancio was never in dispute. What was in dispute was whether the act was deliberate and pre-planned. Prosecutors argued the fact that Ciancio was shot three times in the face could not be an accident -- it was an execution.

"Mr. Fowler waited until (Ciancio) signed that separation agreement before he took his life. Looked him right in the eye when he pulled that first trigger. He shot him right in the face! What does that tell you about deliberation?" prosecutor Dave Young asked the jury during closing arguments in the trial.

The defense argued that Fowler went to the office that day, armed with a gun, to kill himself.

"We're not trying to justify it. (Ciancio's) death is a tragedy but it is not first-degree murder," said Sarah Quinn, one of Fowler's two defense attorneys. "(Fowler's) only plan was to take his own life. No intent. No deliberation. It was just a tragic reaction by Mr. Fowler."

The jury had to decide if Fowler was guilty of first-degree or second-degree murder. District Court Judge Francis Wasserman dismissed defense requests to include crime of passion and other lesser offenses in the jury instructions.

Ciancio died Dec. 30, 2009 while he went to the office to collect a severance check from Fowler Software Design. Ciancio had decided to leave the company after the founder, 58-year-old Rex Fowler, had diverted $175,000 in company funds to Fowler's church, the Church of Scientology.

He and Fowler, the founder of the company, were the only two people inside the lower-level office near 84th Avenue and Interstate 25 that day.

Young and a fellow prosecutor waved a replica handgun during closing arguments to demonstrate the actions they allege Fowler took in putting three bullets into Ciancio's head. "If you fire three shots into someone's head it is your intent to kill," said prosecutor Yvette Werner.

"It is your conscious objective for them to be dead. (The defense) wants you to believe it was ... what? 'Oops! Oops! Oops!'" she said pointing a replica gun towards wall."Does that make any sense to you? Of course not."

Earlier Friday, Dr. James Wilkerson IV told the jury Ciancio had been shot "within two feet" -- and two of the shots were to the back of the head. [more...]


William Rex Fowler: $200K Scientology donor found guilty of murdering Thomas Ciancio
blogs.westword.com ~ An Adams County District judge is trying to keep Scientology from overwhelming the William Rex Fowler murder trial, even though Fowler's software company was reportedly in trouble because he gave around $200,000 to the sect. But that hasn't prevented anti-Scientology forums from linking the object of their derision to the late 2009 slaying of Thomas Ciancio, Fowler's ex-partner. [more...]

KUSA-TV News9 - Man charged in shooting death of former business partner
Background of stories above. Aired: 1/22/10

Bail Denied in Fowler Double Shooting [update]

Back Story: An update to the continuing story that was reported on 1/2/10: In a stunning turnabout, a dead man called a "suspect" just 24 hours ago is now deemed the murder victim in a double shooting at an Adams County office building.

No bail for accused murderer Rex Fowler
denverpost.com ~ An Adams County District Court judge today ordered William Rex Fowler, 58, to face first-degree murder charges in the Dec. 31, 2009 shooting of Tom Ciancio.

Judge Francis Wasserman also denied bail for Fowler.

Fowler is accused of shooting Ciancio, 42, three times in the head with a 9mm Glock handgun when Ciancio came to Fowler Software in unincorporated Adams County to collect $9,900 in severance pay. Ciancio, who was Fowler Software's chief operating officer, resigned Nov. 23 in a dispute over the way the company was being managed.

Prosecutors said during a preliminary hearing today that Fowler lured Ciancio to his office to commit a murder suicide. Investigators say Fowler shot Ciancio three times in the head and then shot himself under the chin in attempt to end his own life.

Prosecutors said they found notes written by Fowler to his wife, and also a living will they say indicated he was going to commit suicide after taking Ciancio's life.

"Fowler took care of his own business before he took care of his own suicide," Young said. Fowler's attorney said at worst, her client should face second-degree murder charges. "This was a professional dispute and it was not based on first-degree murder," defense attorney Sarah Quinn said.

And there's more:
CBS4 Denver has the following to add:
"...Another detective testified that witnesses stated both Ciancio and another employee suspected that Fowler had embezzled money from the company for his church. Fowler was a practicing Scientologist. Ciancio was so upset that he decided to resign and was going back to work at Fowler Software Design to pick up his final check on the day he was killed..."

You can read more of Fowler's Scientology/WISE connection at an archived post over at WWP.

1/22/10: Man charged in shooting death of former business partner
Archived report on the Fowler murder/suicide attempt as aired on 1/22/10 on KUSA-TV News9.



ODIT archived posts on this story can be found here. As always, thanx to WWP for the tip.

Fowler Charged With 1st Degree In Fowl-Play

denverpost.com ~ A 58-year-old businessman, Scientology minister and founder of an Adams County software company was arrested Friday on murder charges in a bizarre office shooting at the end of the year that left him injured and another man dead.

Adams County District Attorney Don Quick filed charges against William Rex Fowler in the shooting death of 42-year-old Thomas Ciancio, his former business partner at Fowler Software Design.

Investigators say Fowler shot Ciancio three times in the head with a 9mm Glock handgun when Ciancio came to Fowler Software Design to collect $9,900 in severance pay.[continued below video]

A quote from Fowler's Scientology success page certainly may need some updating. In it he says, "I was an angry young man looking for a group that might help solve the problems of this world, so I looked into Scientology." and goes on to say, "...together we WILL achieve a world without war, crime, and insanity." Okedokee, Rex.

KUSA-TV News9 - Man charged in shooting death of former business partner


continued...
Police had originally thought Ciancio was the gunman but later described him as a victim.

Ciancio, who was Fowler Software's chief operating officer, resigned Nov. 23 in a dispute over the way the company was being managed.

On Dec. 29, Ciancio agreed to a settlement and to sign a waiver of release in exchange for the payment, company chief executive Laura Zaspel told investigators, according to a court document supporting the filing of charges.

Employees of the software company told investigators Ciancio had blamed Fowler for the company's recent financial difficulties.

The employees said Fowler had taken about $200,000 of the company's money without asking and gave it to a church or charity, according to the arrest affidavit.

Ciancio had "become very frustrated with William Fowler," according to the arrest affidavit.

Ciancio arrived at 10 a.m. Dec. 30 to collect his check. He chatted with employees, asked about their holidays and was preparing to attend his son's birthday party later that day.

Ciancio asked to speak to Ubaldo Ciminieri, the company's vice president of sales and marketing, but he had stepped away from his desk. Ciancio then went to Fowler's office.

Two minutes later, according to the affidavit, employees heard gunshots. Police were called by another tenant in the Elati Building, near West 84th Avenue and Elati Street in unincorporated Adams County.

When deputies arrived, they saw Fowler making his way through the front door, bleeding from the head. Investigators said he took one step past the threshold, then went back in. Police rushed into the building, escorted Fowler back out and called for an ambulance.

When Fowler tried to speak to deputies, blood poured from his mouth. They asked if Ciancio was still in the building, and he shook his head up and down to say "yes." They asked if Ciancio shot him and Fowler did not respond, investigators said.

Fowler was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, where he underwent surgery for a wound from the bottom of his chin through the top of his head. During the surgery, police said, Fowler's hands were bagged to protect evidence of gunshot residue, which was later collected by investigators.

Inside Fowler's office, police found Ciancio's body. They said he appeared to have been sitting at a table when he was shot. They also found what they believe is the murder weapon and four 9mm Luger shell casings. They found a handgun magazine on the table and another in a closet in the office.

Investigators say the gun was registered to Andrew Hyung Fowler, 26, who lived at 1413 L. Ron Hubbard Way in Los Angeles when it was purchased. In interviews with police, Andrew Fowler said he gave the gun to his father for Christmas in 2007.

Police also found a briefcase and a typed note, dated Dec. 30 and signed by Fowler. The note said nothing confidential was in the satchel and that it should be given to his wife, Janet.

When Janet Fowler was interviewed by detectives, she demanded the briefcase.

"It is important to me and my church. It is religious material and I want it now," she said to investigators. "Even if you looked at it, and read it, you would not understand anything in it. Because it is way above a normal person and you would not know what it meant. I want it back right now."

Janet Fowler also reportedly told investigators that her husband "is a Scientologist and would not have gone without a fight. He would have grabbed a gun in a struggle and would not have let someone shoot him."

She also told investigators that Ciancio had sent e-mails to Rex Fowler, threatening to hire an attorney and sue over money he said was owed him.

Adams County officials said Fowler is in custody but would not say where he is being held. He was last known to be at Denver Health Medical Center, but his name no longer appears on patient rosters.

No court date has been set for Fowler.

Ciancio's family members said they did not want to comment on the case. Calls to Fowler's Broomfield home and to the Church of Scientology were not returned Friday.

Where is Tommy Davis, Scientology spokesperson? I'm all ready to hear the now famous line, "This guy’s a lunatic...", when anything goes amuck in Scientology.

Several websites that scrutinize Scientology have been following this case, with links to records that allegedly reveal Fowler was a senior Scientologist. The sites claim that Fowler Software was a member of the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises. According to the arrest affidavit, Ciancio's brother gave investigators four binders of Scientology materials that Fowler had given to Ciancio, asking him to study the religion.

Fowler Software Double Shooting 1 Dead, 1 Injured [update]

Search Warrants Issued
denver post ~ "The Adams County Sheriff's Office continued its investigation Monday into a double shooting last week that left one man dead and one man in critical condition.

The Sheriff's Office plans to execute search warrants for vehicles at Fowler Software Design, where Tommy Ciancio, 42, was fatally shot Wednesday. Rex Fowler, 58, was still in critical condition Monday at Denver Health Medical Center.

Ciancio, who was chief operating officer at Fowler's computer company, initially was thought to be the gunman. However, the coroner ruled that his death was a homicide.

Sheriff's Capt. Michael McIntosh said the department has requested an interview with Fowler, but his medical condition did not allow that."

News CBS4 Denver



Eye Witness Account VIA Facebook/WWP
[photos gleaned from Channel4 news report above]
Updated information obtained from one witness: "...My office is right across the street from the crime scene approx. 300 feet away & several people in my building watched the events unfold for the entire 4-5 hours.

We first noticed a lot of police cars showing up on the scene. This is not unusual as there is a halfway house right next to the crime scene. The police are there often. Then we noticed that the police were bent over a person laying on the sidewalk. When they finally got him to sit up I could see that the side of his head & the entire front of his shirt were bright red. I realized it had to be blood. Two officers helped the man to his feel & put handcuffs on him. (absolutely positive about this. Heidei McGuire the channel 9 News reporter confirmed it with police & said so on the air.)

On the news that night they stated that it is standard police policy to handcuff everybody who is in the building or possibly involved until they can sort out who is the victim & who is the suspect. Next they walked the man a half a block to the ambulance. He was a little wobbly but walked all the way.

While this was going on we noticed there was no traffic on 84th street & as more police vehicles were pulling up they were parking sideways to the crime scene building. All the police were looking towards the building & there were a lot of guns drawn, all pointed towards the building.

I don't know what "area search" the news people were talking about. There was never any question that the building was where the suspect was. We heard on the radio that there were 2 people shot at one point. So the police were completely focused the entire time on the building where Tom Ciancio was eventually found.

We did not witness any "searching the area". The police went to several houses & business's (Burger King & The Vets Clinic) & evacuated the occupants. They told other business's to keep everybody inside that "there is an active shooter".

At one point I counted over 22 police cars (marked & unmarked) at least 10 SWAT vehicles & numerous ambulances & fire trucks & over 70 law enforcement personnel, including Snipers right outside our windows. We heard one of the snipers say that he had "a clear shot through all the basement windows".

About 3 hours after the whole thing started we heard that Tom Ciancio's sister was in route to the site. Right then the SWAT team came around the corner of 83rd ave. & Elati st. There were about 25 of them marching in formation towards the building in full SWAT dress. It was very impressive. They paused a minute in front of the building before quickly going in. They came out about 20-25 minutes later. We heard on the police scanner website that the suspect was found dead inside..."

Insider Anonymous Tip On Rex Fowler's Present Condition

VIA Admin at WWP: I have been sent information about the injury suffered by Rex Fowler, which has been passed to me by someone who says they have a connection to the family.

He has an entry wound (bullet hole) under the chin. The bullet traveled through his tongue, through the roof of his mouth, through the sinuses, through the frontal lobe and exited out the top of his head.
His mouth is wired shut and he is heavily sedated.

More, as it becomes available.

Denver: Dead 'Suspect' Now Called Murder 'Victim'

thedenverchannel ~ In a stunning turnabout, a dead man called a "suspect" just 24 hours ago is now deemed the murder victim in a double shooting at an Adams County office building.

Adams County Coroner James Hibbard said the investigation shifted when an autopsy revealed that Thomas P. Ciancio had been shot more than once in the head during a clash with his ex-boss, William Rex Fowler, who was also shot.

"At this time we're listing (Ciancio) as the victim of a homicide," Hibbard told TheDenverChannel.com. "We're comfortable in our findings that the injuries to Mr. Ciancio could not have been self-inflicted."

When the bloody 58-year-old Fowler stumbled from the office of Fowler Software Design into the arms of police officers Wednesday morning he was initially deemed the "victim."

The 42-year-old Ciancio, the former chief operating officer at the firm, was called the "suspect" by the Adams County sheriff's spokeswoman after SWAT officers found his body inside the building along with the lone gun.

The discovery ended a tense 2½-hour standoff with heavily armed SWAT officers surrounding the building, not knowing whether the "gunman" was still inside. Authorities used automated telephone alerts to caution surrounding residents to stay inside their homes and businesses.

Now Hibbard and sheriff's spokeswoman Sgt. Candi Baker said Fowler -- who remains hospitalized in critical condition -- could become the suspect in the deadly shooting.

"Over the past 24 hours, the sheriff's office was able to process the scene of the shooting, as well as interview multiple witnesses and obtain specific information concerning the gunshot wounds of Rex Fowler and Thomas Ciancio," Baker said in a statement Thursday afternoon. Then came the findings from the autopsy.

Thomas P. Ciancio was found shot to death inside the company where he used to work -- Fowler Software Design.

"Based on interviews and evidence collected, it appears Thomas Ciancio was the victim of a homicide and not the gunman," Baker said. "Rex Fowler is currently in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the head."

"The facts and circumstances surrounding the incident continue to be investigated. No other persons are believed to be involved in this shooting," she added.

Said Hibbard: "When you get in there and start investigating and do the autopsy you're going to find that sometimes the information will change. And in doing that you just change the focus of your investigation and concentrate on the information that you now have at hand."

The coroner would not immediately disclose how many times Ciancio was shot in the head, saying it could be critical evidence in solving the mysterious murder.

"The number of shots that are at the head are important as far as the investigation into identifying the possible shooter," the coroner told 7NEWS.

A man who worked in the office building told 7NEWS that he never heard any kind of argument or shouting before three to four shots were fired Wednesday. The worker did not want to be identified.



Thanks XenuTV for video link

...But Wait, There's More
Yep, if the story above wasn't screwy enough, there's Scientology involved (or it's a good chance you wouldn't be reading about it in this blog).

The super sleuths over at WWP have been following this story and organized a little fact list (thus far):

• Fowler Software is a WISE buisness (listed in several leaked WISE directories, also a first-person posting about interviewing there)
• Rex Fowler is at least OTVII.
• Fowler's wife Jan(et) is also a scientologist.
• Fowler's full-time senior employees are scientologists.
• Ciancio is not a scientologist
• Ciancio's family reports that the company had met financial problems and Ciancio was leaving, having reached a financial agreement with Fowler.
• Ciancio and Fowler were to meet for final payment on Ciancio leaving the business as minor partner.
• That meeting occurred. What exactly happened (other than Ciancio being shot several times in head) is unknown.
• 911 call not yet released but police have said that the as yet unidentified caller said that the shooter was a "disgruntled" former employee.
• Initial investigation was misdirected due to this call.
• Coroner confirms Ciancio is victim, police confirm only 2 people involved in shooting (Fowler and Ciancio), have not made statement on Fowler yet.
• An odd press release touting Fowler Software was put on spam press release sites on 1/1/10 (this could be unrelated or standard sci pr tech).

More to come as the facts unfold. Updates here.