Madison Renee Crowe was a vibrant and lovable 15-year-old girl with a passion for life. A sophomore at Weir High School in Weirton, West Virginia, the White teenager was a bright student who loved creative writing and dreamed of becoming a physical therapist. On the soccer field, she was a fierce competitor known affectionately as “Flo” or “Mad-Flo,” wearing the No. 3 jersey for the Weir High Red Riders. Her athletic director remembered her infectious laugh and positive attitude.
Madison was inseparable from her best friend and step-sister, Jessie, and cherished spending time with her family.
The community was shattered on September 24, 2020, when Madison and her 39-year-old mother, Melissa Rowland, were found shot to death inside their home on Ardmore Avenue. The killings occurred around 12:30 p.m. In the wake of the tragedy, friends and family gathered for vigils, and Madison’s soccer team honored her by wearing her favorite color, sky blue, and retiring her jersey. Her stepfather, Chad Rowland, said he was moved by the overwhelming support from friends and strangers alike.
Weirton Police and the West Virginia State Police crime lab began investigating the double homicide, and a suspect was taken into custody the same day. The suspect was a 13-year-old boy who was inside the home when the shootings occurred. He initially ran from the house and claimed an intruder had killed his mother and sister, but investigators found gunshot residue on him and no evidence of a forced entry.
The juvenile was identified as Madison’s brother, Connor Crowe. His case was transferred to adult status, and in November 2022, he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. According to the prosecutor, the murders were premeditated. Crowe had reportedly been angry that his mother and sister discovered he had not completed an online school assignment and had threatened to tell his stepfather.
In May 2023, Connor Crowe, then 16, was sentenced to the maximum penalty. A Hancock County Circuit Judge ordered him to serve two consecutive 40-year prison terms, for a total of 80 years. While rejecting pleas for a lesser sentence, the judge told Crowe, "Your sister was 15 at the time you murdered her... She was younger than you are right now, and you gave her no consideration, no mitigation for something less than a death sentence." Crowe will remain in a juvenile facility until his 18th birthday.
