Bio 

James Lowery was born on March 16, 1947. Before the crime, Lowery and his wife had worked as caretakers for Mark and Gertrude Thompson, an elderly couple living near West Point, Indiana. The Thompsons were in declining health and needed help caring for themselves and their property. They later became dissatisfied with the Lowerys and asked them to leave.

After losing the caretaker position, Lowery discussed robbing the Thompsons with his friend Jim Bennett. Lowery told Bennett that he knew where they could get money. The plan was to go to the Thompson home, force Mark Thompson to write a check, and then kill both Mark and Gertrude Thompson. The robbery plan led directly to the murders on September 30, 1979.

Murder Story

On September 30, 1979, Jim Bennett picked up James Lowery and followed his directions to the Thompson home in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. Lowery was armed with a pistol and a sawed-off shotgun. He had told Bennett that they were going to force Mark Thompson to write a check for $9,000 and then kill and bury both Thompsons.

At the property, Janet Brown, the Thompsons’ housekeeper and caretaker, was inside a trailer near the garage. Lowery kicked open the trailer door and entered. After speaking with her, he forced Brown to take him into the Thompson residence.

Inside the home, Lowery took Brown into the kitchen, where Mark Thompson was standing. Lowery told Thompson that he was being held up and then shot him in the stomach. Lowery then went to another room, forced Gertrude Thompson into the kitchen, and shot her in the head.

Lowery also shot Janet Brown. Brown had placed her hand over her head when he fired, and the bullet injured her hand and head but did not kill her. During the attack, a burglar alarm began ringing. Lowery became excited, went back to Mark Thompson, and shot him in the head before fleeing. Mark and Gertrude Thompson died from the shooting. Janet Brown survived and became a key witness.

Lowery was arrested on October 2, 1979. He was tried and convicted of two murders and one attempted murder. He was first sentenced to death on June 23, 1980, but the Indiana Supreme Court reversed the conviction because the jury had not been properly sequestered.

A second trial was held. At the retrial, Jim Bennett refused to testify, so his earlier testimony was admitted. Lowery was again convicted of both murders and attempted murder. On January 7, 1983, he was sentenced to death for the two murder convictions and received a 50-year sentence for the attempted murder of Janet Brown.

Lowery continued appealing his case for many years. His conviction and death sentence were upheld on direct appeal, in state post-conviction review, and in federal habeas proceedings. James Lowery was executed by lethal injection at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City on June 27, 2001. He was pronounced dead at 12:29 a.m.