On a quiet Wednesday morning, August 7, 2019, 77-year-old Alphonso Rowe, a Black male, was enjoying a cup of coffee on his porch on Putnam Street in Columbia, South Carolina, when his life was tragically cut short in a drive-by shooting. The incident occurred at approximately 11:15 a.m. Rowe was struck in the lower body and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators with the Columbia Police Department believe that Rowe was not the intended target of the brazen daylight attack.
The investigation into the senseless killing quickly focused on a then 18-year-old relative, Devin Rowe, who was also the victim's son. Authorities believed that an ongoing dispute involving Devin may have been the catalyst for the shooting. Prior to the fatal shooting, police had been called to the same residence for a shots-fired incident, and a car with bullet holes was still present in the driveway on the day of Alphonso Rowe's death. While investigators were eager to speak with Devin Rowe, they publicly stated that he was not a suspect in his father's murder but a person of interest who might have crucial information.
A few days after his father's death, Devin Rowe was arrested on outstanding warrants for unrelated charges of burglary and petty larceny. He was taken into custody by the Columbia Police Department and housed at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Despite the arrest, no charges have ever been filed in connection with the murder of Alphonso Rowe. The case remains unsolved, leaving his family, including his wife Clarice and their four children, still searching for answers and justice for the beloved patriarch who was remembered as a good man, a perfect father, and a devoted husband. The Columbia Police Department continues to encourage anyone with information to come forward.
