Opinion ID: 1399120
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Killing of Jack Dowdy, Jr.

Text: Jack Dowdy, Jr., was a longtime friend of defendant's. Dowdy married Kim Dowdy in 1984, became romantically involved with Pam Lester in 1985, and left his wife in February 1986 to live with Lester. Kim took care of their son. On Sunday, May 11, 1986, at Dowdy's parents' home in Espanola, New Mexico, Lester overheard a conversation between defendant and Dowdy. Defendant accused Dowdy of ruining things for him because Dowdy had Kim's son with him, so Kim would not go with defendant to Albuquerque. Defendant said he was going to take Kim to Albuquerque and kill her the following afternoon. After this incident, Dowdy and Lester drove to Albuquerque, where Dowdy was to attend a union trade school for five days. Dowdy had arranged to stay with his cousin, Jackie Sumner, from May 11 to May 15 while he attended school. Dowdy dropped Lester off at her mother's house in Albuquerque on the evening of May 11 and stayed with Sumner that night. On May 12, Dowdy attended school. He never returned to Sumner's house, where he had left two boxes of clothes, nor did he ever contact Lester again. On May 13, Lester found Dowdy's car parked at the Penguin Lounge, across from the union school. His school books were in the car. Lester had a key made for the car and drove it back to Espanola. Dowdy never finished school; he would have received $447.42 for attending five days' training. Jane Davis, Jack Dowdy, Jr.'s, sister, had a close relationship with her brother. In April 1986 their grandfather died, and the family gathered at their father's house in Espanola. Defendant, Dowdy's best friend, arrived; Dowdy left with him. Davis later saw defendant with Dowdy. The two men were arguing, and defendant stuck his hand in his left pocket, pulling it around to his front. Months earlier, Davis had seen defendant with a small pistol, which he said he was going to carry with him. After the incident at the funeral, Davis asked defendant if he had pulled a gun on Dowdy. Defendant replied that he had. Davis never heard from Dowdy after the Friday before he went to attend school in Albuquerque. He would have told her had he planned to leave the area for a long time. Only once before had Dowdy gone away  for three weeks  without telling anyone. Two or three weeks after Dowdy disappeared, defendant told Davis he had tried to strangle Kim Dowdy with a bandanna because he had had a blackout. After Dowdy's disappearance, a man called Ted told Lester that he had seen Dowdy. Lester gave the information to a detective.