Forensic analysis, digital review leads to arrest of murder suspect in Colorado cold case

A forensic analysis and digital evidence review have led to the arrest of a Colorado man suspected of stalking and killing his ex-wife in 2023.

Ronald Elton Lowry is facing multiple charges in connection with the suspected murder of Richelle Lowry, who was found dead inside her home in Bennett. According to court documents, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office was contacted by Richelle Lowry's employer in October 2023 after she failed to show up for work after returning from a business trip. The department was also contacted by Ronald Lowry, her ex-husband, who told authorities that he was unable to reach her.

Members of the Bennet Fire Department forced their way into the home and found her body lying on the bathroom floor. She had suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, and deputies located a handgun lying underneath her shoulder. The deputies noted that the couple's wedding photos were on the bed in the next room.

During the investigation, deputies learned that Ronald and Richelle Lowry were in the process of what they reported as an amicable divorce. Although Ronald Lowry had moved out, he still had access to the garage where some of his belongings remained.

Autopsy results showed that Richelle Lowry died of a close range gunshot wound to the head, but that she had "suspicious" bruising on her body and a large hematoma on her forehead. Initial autopsy results ruled her death a homicide, but the final report listed the cause as "undetermined." After the review of the case, the doctor ruled her death as a homicide and reissued the death certificate.

Swabs taken following her death showed male DNA in two places, but the forensic scientist determined the samples were of low quality.

A neighbor told investigators that Richelle Lowry had confided in her that she feared for her life and had received threats from Ronald Lowry's friends. As the investigation continued, authorities found other people connected to Richelle Lowry who were told the same.

Richelle Lowry's parents told police that shortly after her death, Ronald Lowry contacted them and told them she committed suicide. Her parents said she had suffered from depression before and that she had been paranoid since the pending divorce. Court documents detail how Richelle Lowry told multiple people that she overheard Ronald Lowry and his brother discussing the death of his brother's wife and that she was worried that her ex might kill her for her money. She also reported receiving threats from her ex-husband's friends.

Her parents said they didn't believe she was suicidal. Her sister and her best friend also told authorities they didn't believe she would have killed herself.

Her parents and her ex-husband confirmed that she had begun dating again.

On Ronald Lowry's phone, investigators recovered video of Richelle Lowry and her boyfriend at a golf course earlier that month. They said the videos were deleted several hours after Ronald Lowry contacted the sheriff's office to check on his ex-wife. In a string of messages, investigators say that Ronald Lowry claimed his ex-wife had been dating the man behind his back. Court documents say a search of his devices showed that he had searched for her boyfriend's name and the name of the place where he worked.

Surveillance footage recovered by deputies showed a man in dark clothing walking around the home two days before deputies discovered her body. The investigators noted that the hat seen in the video resembled a hat worn later by Ronald Lowry. Shortly after the man appeared on camera, the surveillance system appeared to stop capturing video.

In 2024, an analyst concluded that the system did not suffer a glitch and that a person would have needed to stop the recording.

AT&T records obtained by investigators showed that Ronald Lowry's phone wasn't connected to the network during the time the man was seen near the house. Phone records also showed Ronald Lowry near his ex-wife's house multiple times in the weeks leading up to her death. Court documents said that he admitted to investigators that he went to her home to pick up their dog the night before she was found, but that she didn't answer or appear to be home. 

Ronald Lowry also reportedly told investigators that he didn't have access inside the home and turned on the porch light while he was there in case she came back, but deputies later said the switch to that light couldn't be accessed from the garage. The pet sitter said that she usually watched the dog and didn't think Richelle Lowry would have called her ex-husband to pick him up. She also mentioned that she usually left the dog closed in the master bedroom when she left, but the dog wasn't in the room the night Richelle Lowry died.

In Nov. 2025, during the follow-up on the case, investigators determined that Ronald Lowry stood to gain $1,1334,504 if her death had been ruled a suicide. Because he is still a suspect in her death, he was disinherited from her estate.

On Friday, the 18th District Attorney's office announced that Ronald Lowry was arrested. He is facing charges of first-degree murder, two counts of stalking, one count of tampering with physical evidence, one count of violent crime - serious bodily injury or death, and one count of violent crime - deadly weapon.