Recordpub.com - Rootstown beating victim dies: Richard Lowther paralyzed after robbery, attack; 4 suspects may face new charges

Darrel Dukes - Charged with complicity to murder

Cortez Oliver — Charged with murder

Jonathan Dukes — Charged with murder

Jodi Fetty - Charged with complicity to murder

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

A Rootstown man who was paralyzed after an attack and robbery at his home earlier this month died at 6:20 a.m. Thursday at Akron City Hospital.

Richard A. Lowther, 68, was attacked July 2 at his Tallmadge Road home by people looking for money. He was severely beaten and left paralyzed from the chest down, with limited use of his arms.

In recent days Lowther was reported to be rallying. He had been off sedation for about a week after pneumonia-related complications followed surgery to repair his broken and dislocated neck. He was on a breathing machine at the critical care unit of the hospital earlier this week.

An autopsy was performed Thursday morning at the Summit County Medical Examiner’s office. The cause of death is pending further examination.

Four people have been charged in connection with the attack and robbery. They are: Jodi L. Fetty, 27, of Diamond; Darrell L. Dukes, 22, of 3075 S.R. 59, Ravenna; Jonathan H. Dukes, 23, of 3865 Blake Ave., Ravenna; and Cortez M. Oliver, 20, of Fairlawn.

All four remain in jail on $1 million bonds.

A grand jury indicted the four suspects on one count each of felonious assault, a second-degree felony; aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; and aggravated burglary, also a first-degree felony.

The first-degree felony charges carry a potential sentence of three to 10 years in jail. The felony assault charge carries a potential sentence of two to eight years in prison.

The four may now face more serious charges.

Portage County Sheriff David Doak said he was going to meet with the Portage County prosecutor “to discuss where we’re going to go with it from here.”

Asked if more severe charges could result, Doak said “If I have anything to say about it, there will be.”

Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said it is up to the Portage County grand jury to determine what those charges might be.

“We will be asking the grand jury to reconsider the charges,” Vigluicci said Thursday morning.

According to the sheriff’s office investigation, Fetty approached Lowther’s home at about 2:30 a.m. July 2. She told Lowther she was having car trouble and asked to use the phone.

Oliver and Jonathan Dukes then assaulted Lowther before stealing a collection of commemorative state quarters and fleeing in a vehicle driven by Darrell Dukes, according to the sheriff’s office.

A neighbor spotted Lowther lying on the ground in his front yard after the suspects had fled.

Deputies arrested Fetty when she tried to turn in 740 of the quarters — a total $185 — later that day at the Ravenna Giant Eagle. Fetty’s arrest led authorities to the three men allegedly involved.

A fund has been set up to help pay for Lowther’s medical treatments. Donations can be made at any area KeyBank branch to the “Richard Lowther Medical Fund,” or donations can be mailed to the Richard Lowther Medical Fund, PO Box 150, Rootstown, OH, 44272.

Lowther was active in several area social clubs. He was a member of Parents Without Partners, the Ravenna Moose Lodge, the Kent Masonic Lodge, the Kent Canadian Club, the Kent Coin Club and the United Methodist Church of Kent.

55.	Posted by JeffBillman August 6, 2009
	Buzbe, you seem to be a very intelligent person. I certainly can appreciate that. However, I must say that I disagree with you on this. They say, "To err is human; to forgive, divine." God bless you to have had the power to forgive those who have hurt your loved ones. Even so, do you not see that your power to forgive is a very special thing? Can you honestly tell us that you blame the Lowthers should they not have that power themselves? As for the rest of us, is it not possible that we are frightened by the prospect of this happening to our neighbours; in our community? Yes, though we are adults, we still can be frightened by that which is clearly outside our control. I don't know why these four young persons chose to do this vile, despicable act. And though I don't know them, and although I'm certain they each have people who love them, still I see that they have chosen to separate themselves from society by doing an act that shows their contempt for society. So mote it be. We, being mere mortals, have not the power to restore what was lost to us. To forgive this grievous assault upon our community, then, takes an act that would be truly divine. Until we see such divinity, though, the best we can do is to care for one another, and try to make sure this doesn't happen again. No man should blame us for that.

53.	Posted by Buzbe August 6, 2009
	Gun loving fool... Do you know what :) represents? You are saying I'm confused then giving me a smiley face at the end of the sentence! You haven't said anything relevent yet because you can't get off of trying to be this hatemonger onstead of saying something intelligent. Please, I beg of you to also get back on the subject of maybe sharing with us any lastest news... I offered prayer to the Lowther family and said that we can't control what our children do for the rest of their lives especially when they were given a good childhood! What now you're gonna give me some crap about knowing the Duke's and Oliver way before all this happened? What if someone you knew killed someone? You would be in as much disbelief as I or anyone else would be. Black families in the community disciplined their young back in the day, but along came lawmakers and stopped one of the most sacred ideas of morality since "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine in 1776... SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD!! Am I still confusing you? I guess I am because I refuse to do 'hatespeak'... Look around you gunny, nobody is caromming around the "acrid bombastic callous desolate enormous frivolous gregarious malicious rhetoric slurs of torrant zealous attitudes. And like Mickey Knox at Botangaville Prison, I got you covered, Scarpetti, so take your shot!!!