A Columbus man who prosecutors allege fatally shot his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his 2-month-old daughter, leaving the infant alone with her body for an hour, could possibly spend the rest of his life in prison.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jeff Brown sentenced 33-year-old Dallas Lowery on Thursday to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 21 years.
On March 11, a jury found Lowery guilty of murder, domestic violence and tampering with evidence. Brown also found Lowery guilty of one count of weapons under disability, meaning he had a prior felony conviction and was not permitted to have a gun.
The jury found Lowery not guilty of a charge of aggravated murder because they could not agree that the killing was planned.
Lowery argued at trial that Chapman died by suicide, despite evidence that the trajectory of Chapman's single gunshot wound to her head would have required her to pull the trigger with her nondominant hand.
The testimony at trial alleged that Lowery arrived at Chapman's home on Feb. 22, 2022, as shown on video from both outside Chapman's home and a camera inside. Lowery went into a detached garage where firearms were kept before going into the home for about 15 minutes.
The trial testimony then alleged Lowery went back to a hotel, showered and changed his clothes before returning to Chapman's home about an hour later. At that time, Lowery called 911, telling dispatchers Chapman shot herself, but he didn't see a gun and didn't know where Chapman was shot.
Prosecutors accused Lowery of leaving the 2-month-old daughter he shared with Chapman alone in the home with Chapman's body.
"She will never know how much her mother loves her," Chapman's mother, Eva Chapman, said Thursday during victim impact statements at Lowery's sentencing hearing. "She wakes up at night and screaming. The next day she comes to you and asks if she’s safe."
Chapman's mother and sister said Chapman would go so far as to pay rent for friends who were in need and had tried to give Lowery everything he needed.
"There is no excuse for what he has done," Chapman's sister, Kayla Chapman said. "He can’t charm his way out of this with quick wit and a smile."
Chapman also suffered a broken hyoid bone, an injury frequently seen in strangulation cases that can be survivable, according to the testimony at trial.
Terry Parrish, a codefendant in the case, testified against Lowery as part of a plea deal. Parrish pleaded guilty plea to tampering with evidence.
Parrish testified that Lowery called him multiple times in the day leading up to Chapman's shooting, telling Parrish that he intended to shoot Chapman in the face.
Brown suspended Parrish's prison sentence during a hearing Thursday morning.
Lowery has maintained his innocence despite the jury's verdict. He did not address the court before being sentenced and intends to appeal his conviction.
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