Columbus County, NC – 28 January 2019 – It’s been three years since Repo Man Jeff Lowe was murdered, but perhaps now, some closure may be received by his family and coworkers. William “Roy” Kohler, Jr. has changed his plea to guilty Monday in a courtroom full of Lowe’s family and friends.
William “Roy” Kohler, Jr. was facing charges for first-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Jeff Lowe, but insisted in an exclusive interview with WECT last year that he did not kill him.
On Monday, Kohler pleaded guilty to lesser charges of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, and discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle. He was sentenced to seven to ten years in prison, and will get credit for the time he has spent in jail awaiting trial.
Kohler’s son, William “Billy” Kohler, III, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Lowe’s death and was sentenced him to a minimum of 25 years behind bars. Officials believe he fired the fatal shot.
On June 9, 2015, Lowe arrived around 2:30 a.m. to repossess a Ford F-150 from Roy Kohler at his home outside of Whiteville. Kohler said he had no idea the vehicle was in jeopardy of being repossessed, and thought he was being robbed.
The elder Kohler got his gun and fired what he called “a warning shot.” His son continued to fire. Four shots hit Lowe’s tow truck as he attempted to tow the pickup from Kohler’s home. One of those shots killed him.
While Roy Kohler has argued self-defense, prosecutors said many of his facts didn’t add up. They said he claimed to have fallen behind on his vehicle payments because he was in the hospital, but the hospital had no record of Kohler being there. They also said Kohler was three months behind on his vehicle payments, and was told by the car dealership that if he’d didn’t pay by June, the car would be repossessed. Prosecutors said Kohler had five prior vehicle repossessions, and should not have been surprised when Lowe arrived to take the truck.
Kohler told the courtroom, including a number of Lowe’s friends and relatives, that he deeply regrets the loss of life, and the chaotic ten minutes surrounding Lowe’s death.
While he ultimately got out of the murder charge, prosecutors said Roy Kohler was untruthful with investigators about what happened, and tried to cover up the truth. Thus, the conviction for accessory to murder after the fact.
Source: WECT.com
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