In a quiet corner of Grafton, New York, the life of 55-year-old Wilson Phillip Fowler was brought to a tragic and violent end on June 18, 2025. A man known as a 'Jack of all trades' who could fix anything and found joy in helping others and flying model airplanes, his peaceful existence was shattered by an act of familial violence that also claimed the lives of two other family members.
The events of that fateful evening unfolded with a desperate plea for help.
Wilson's daughter-in-law, 27-year-old Whitney Fowler, placed a 911 call at approximately 6:36 p.m., reporting an altercation with her husband, Joshua Fowler. In the midst of that call, the dispatcher heard what sounded like gunshots before the line went dead. State Police arrived at the South Road residence roughly ten minutes later to a grim scene.
Outside the home, they discovered Whitney Fowler, who had been fatally shot. Inside, they found the bodies of Wilson Fowler and his 69-year-old step-grandmother-in-law, Anita Crandall; both had also been shot to death. The weapon used in the killings was a rifle that was legally owned by Wilson Fowler.
The suspect, Wilson's 26-year-old son Joshua Fowler, was found outside the residence holding a long gun. He refused multiple commands to drop the weapon, leading to a brief standoff with law enforcement. Believing he may have been attempting to provoke officers into a 'suicide by cop' scenario, troopers utilized a TASER to subdue and arrest him.
Following his arrest, Joshua Fowler was charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder, as well as criminal possession of a weapon. He was arraigned in Brunswick Town Court and remanded to the Rensselaer County jail without bail. Initially, in July 2025, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, on November 24, 2025, Joshua Fowler changed his plea, admitting his guilt on three counts of second-degree murder. As a result of his guilty plea, he is expected to be sentenced to 45 years to life in prison in January 2026. Prior to the deadly incident, State Police had responded to domestic disputes at the residence on two separate occasions, once in 2018 involving Joshua and his father, and again in 2021 involving Joshua and his wife. Neither of those incidents resulted in an arrest.
