Desmond Fowler was a 47-year-old Black man and a father who left behind many family members in Lincoln, Nebraska. Less than two days after his death, about 30 friends and relatives gathered at the site where he was killed to light candles and release balloons in his memory. Many called his murder "senseless," and one friend of 40 years was still in shock, recalling their last conversation just a few days earlier.
On the morning of May 16, 2019, an argument began in the 2800 block of
Potter Street. According to court documents, 22-year-old Michael Dewey and another man had gone to the area in a failed attempt to buy drugs. An altercation ensued when Fowler began yelling and ran after their vehicle as they tried to drive away. The car, a white sedan with front-end damage, eventually stopped for a red light at the intersection of 27th and Holdrege Street, near the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus. It was there that Dewey fired several shots, striking Fowler.
The shooting occurred just across the street from a Lincoln police substation, and officers were on the scene in less than a minute. They found Fowler on the sidewalk with fatal gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead when emergency crews arrived. Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister later credited the many witnesses who remained at the daytime scene and provided statements for allowing investigators to quickly piece together a timeline and identify a suspect. Using surveillance footage and witness accounts, authorities seized the vehicle believed to be involved in the crime.
With assistance from the U.S. Marshals Metro Fugitive Task Force, Lincoln police arrested Michael Dewey at a home on South 14th Street at 7:50 p.m. the same day. He was initially charged with first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony, with an attempted escape charge added later. The murder charge was subsequently amended to second-degree murder.
As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, Michael Dewey pleaded no contest to manslaughter and a weapons charge. In exchange for his pleas, two other charges were dropped. On March 30, 2020, Lancaster County District Judge Andrew Jacobsen sentenced Dewey to 64 to 70 years in prison for the killing of Desmond Fowler.
