In the quiet city of Owensboro, Kentucky, the morning of December 23, 2020, was shattered by a tragic discovery. Michael Ray Crowe, a 49-year-old White male, was found in a residence in the 1700 block of McCulloch Avenue with a fatal gunshot wound to his neck. When officers from the Owensboro Police Department arrived at approximately 9:30 a.m. following a report of a shooting, they pronounced him dead at the scene.
The investigation was immediately handled as a homicide.
As the authorities delved into the case, their attention soon turned to a 35-year-old Hawesville man named Brandon L. Ress. The investigation revealed that Ress and Crowe were acquaintances, and through numerous interviews and the collection of evidence, a motive began to form, rooted in the nature of their relationship. Just a day after Crowe's death, on Christmas Eve, police arrested Ress and charged him with murder. At the time of his arrest, Ress was also facing unrelated charges in another county.
The legal process for Brandon L. Ress unfolded over the following months. Initially facing a murder charge, the case eventually concluded with a plea agreement. Ress, then 39, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree manslaughter. His plea was an Alford plea, meaning he maintained his innocence but acknowledged that the prosecution's evidence would likely lead to a guilty verdict at trial. The agreement, which was reached through mediation and approved by Crowe's brother, recommended a sentence of seven years. Following the plea, Ress remained lodged at the Daviess County Detention Center to await his final sentencing.
