A Salesville man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges including first-degree murder during an appearance in Baxter County Circuit Court Tuesday. Twenty-one-year-old Baxter Stowers had entered a guilty plea in late April and a sentencing hearing was set for Tuesday. During the interim, a pre-sentencing report was ordered and submitted to the court.The courtroom was packed with supporters and family members from both sides. Emotional victim impact statements were made by family members of the victim, 41-year-old Jeremy Wayne Alman who listed a Salesville address. Stowers made a short statement to the court before sentencing was pronounced in which he said he felt deep regret, shame and guilt over what he had done and said he was ready to accept his punishment.
Retired Circuit Judge Gordon Webb who was handling the case on assignment from the Arkansas Supreme Court said he had carefully reviewed the case, including all the letters of support that had been submitted on behalf of Stowers.
At the conclusion of the hour-and-a-half hearing, Judge Webb told those in the courtroom that “no one in this room is likely to agree with my decision in this case. For one side, the sentence will be seen as lenient and by the other side as too harsh.”
THE CRIME
Alman was shot seven times in early October 2020. Stowers was 17-years-old at the time — two days short of his 18th birthday.
Stowers was also charged with aggravated residential burglary, and committing a felony with a firearm which is a sentence enhancer.
Stowers himself called 911 about 2 p.m. Oct. 5, 2020, and reported he had shot another male at an address along County Road 111.
When deputies responded, they found Stowers waiting for them in the driveway with his hands up.
He was described as wearing red and white Nike shoes, blue jeans and a St. Louis Cardinal logo shirt and to have been holding a wallet and cellphone in his hand.
The victim’s body was found lying on a concrete floor between the front entrance to the residence and a door leading to a screened-in-porch.
It was determined he had been shot multiple times.
According to a news release from Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery at the time of the incident, the weapon used in the shooting, a .22-caliber Ruger semiautomatic pistol and eight spent .22-caliber shells, were recovered at the scene.
There were no signs of a struggle inside the residence, investigators reported.
JUVENILE COURT MOTION DELAYED CASE
The case has been delayed by a motion to transfer the charges filed against Stowers to juvenile court.
Stowers’ attorney, Shane Wilkinson of Bentonville, filed the motion. It was denied by Judge Webb. Wilkinson appealed the decision to the Arkansas Court of Appeals which upheld Judge Webb’s findings. The appeals court did strike down a misdemeanor charge of possession of a handgun by a minor, citing a jurisdictional issue.
SELF DEFENSE CLAIMED
Stowers has claimed self-defense from the beginning. It is alleged that the victim had showed up at Stowers’ residence the night before the shooting dressed only in his underwear and acting in a way described as “not right.”
Stowers said the visit frightened people in the residence, including his mother. He told investigators he stopped by the victim’s house the next day to find out what the problem was and to ask that the behavior not be repeated.
He said that when the victim answered the door, he was “yelling and screaming” and was alleged to have attacked Stowers.
Stowers told investigators he pulled his firearm from its holster and shot the man. He said it was not unusual for him to carry a gun and that he had been around weapons since he was very young.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMS
Judge Webb earlier signed orders for Stowers to undergo psychological examinations at Wilkinson’s request.
The exams were done to determine Stowers’ fitness to proceed in his case and if he could be held criminally responsible for his acts.
Since the information contained in the evaluations is sealed, the public can only assume the person evaluated has been found fit to proceed and able to be held criminally responsible if the case continues beyond the time the evaluations are delivered to the court.
According to electronic court records, the results of the evaluations were filed in November last year and the case has proceeded.
In additional to being placed on inactive status until the report on the psychological exam was received by the court, the Stowers case was also listed as inactive while the appeals court had it on its docket.
Stowers was booked into the Baxter County jail after he pled guilty in April and has remained there awaiting the sentencing hearing.
According to an announcement made in the courtroom, Stowers is scheduled for immediate transfer to the state prison system.
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