LOCAL NEWS
LOWERY PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER
By John Axtell
Mar 8, 2010 - 9:34:02 PM

   One young Scottsbluff man has pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing another to death last summer after an incident in the Scottsbluff Wal-Mart parking lot.

      20-year old Artie William Lowery remains in custody without bail. He will be sentenced April 3rd on single counts of manslaughter, evidence tampering, and witness tampering in connection with the August 30th death of 20 year old James Mendoza.

      Lowery was originally charged with 2nd murder and use of a deadly weapon in connection with the death, but agreed to plead guilty when a plea bargain with the reduced charges were offered.

      Several witnesses reported a confrontation between Lowery and Mendoza at Wal-Mart, followed by a collision between their vehicles a few blocks later. Police found Mendoza's body near his vehicle.

     Lowery's teenage wife Rozlyn and older brother Joseph are both awaiting trial later this month on charges of being an accessory for allegedly lying to police during the initial stages of the investigation.

      Joseph Lowery...who eventually told police his brother "lost his cool" and stabbed Mendoza 5-to-10 times...also has a second accessory count for allegedly disposing of the knife his brother used. It was later recovered in a field on the northwest edge of Scottsbluff.

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