John and his stepson Ryan were shot and killed in front of their Alpine, AL home by unknown individual on November 30, 2015.
On the evening of November 30, 2015, in the small community of Alpine, Alabama, 51-year-old John William Lowe, Jr., a Caucasian male, was at his Oakdale Road home with his stepson, Ryan King. As the two men stood outside around 8:00 p.m., they were approached by an unknown individual. The stranger asked for directions, a seemingly innocent request that would precede a tragic and violent turn of events.
Inside the residence, Lowe's wife and King's mother, Tina Lowe, could hear the men providing assistance. Moments later, the sound of gunshots shattered the evening's peace. Rushing outside, she discovered both her husband and her son lying in the yard with gunshot wounds. The individual who had asked for directions had fled the scene on foot, vanishing into the night. While his stepson was pronounced dead at the scene, John Lowe was transported to Coosa Valley Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
For years, the double homicide remained a cold case, a source of persistent grief and unanswered questions for the family and the tight-knit Alpine community. The Talladega County Sheriff's Office conducted numerous interviews, but no suspects were identified, and no arrests were made. In an effort to generate new leads, rewards were offered by the Governor's office, Ryan King's father, and a private donor. Despite these efforts, the investigation stalled, leaving a palpable sense of frustration and a void of information for the grieving families.
A glimmer of hope in the long-unsolved case emerged in February 2023. A new witness came forward, providing investigators with a description of a person of interest. The witness reported seeing a light-skinned black male in the vicinity of the crime scene just before the fatal shootings occurred. This new information has breathed life back into the investigation. The total reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible has grown to $22,500, a testament to the enduring quest for justice for John William Lowe, Jr. and Stephen Ryan King. However, to date, no arrests have been announced in connection with the murders.
