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Rex Fowler 1st degree murder trial

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation
I believe he was as mad as a hatter (perhaps for many years) due to the stress the cofs would have been putting on him (and presumably the constant BT searching for years on end which would not help anyone's sanity) and his financial problems and the need to appear to be oatee about it all to (probably) every single person in his shattered life.

I doubt anything too specific was planned but that the stress came to a head at the meeting and he simply lost control and went berserk, killed Ciancio and then tried to top himself.

He may have been doing what all scientologists do for years ... acting sane.

He is probably more sane now after spending time in a physical gaol than he was when trapped in the mental and spiritual gaol that is scientology.

It is an absolute tragedy for all concerned, except the cult ... that cult is a disgrace and deserves anything it gets and it is long overdue.
 

Thrak

Gold Meritorious Patron
Here's an interesting bit from one of his defense attys:

"We're not trying to justify it. (Ciancio's) death is a tragedy but it is not first-degree murder," said Sarah Quinn, one of Fowler's two defense attorneys. "(Fowler's) only plan was to take his own life. No intent. No deliberation. It was just a tragic reaction by Mr. Fowler."

Wait doesn't he no longer have a reactive mind? The sad thing is the whole "OT" logic that Elron spewed is so chock full of bullshit that it is fairly easy to explain this away to true believers. "A BT made him do it because he didn't EP a session", "He false attested to clear, or was not in fact clear and needed an advanced program", fill in the blank.

It seems the real genius of Lyintology is in getting people not to question why it doesn't work when it's so fucking obvious that it doesn't.
 

olska

Silver Meritorious Patron
I'm glad the trial is over and that it was so short and leaves no question that Fowler was guilty and will spend the rest of his life in prison. I think life in prison, rather than death penalty, is appropriate because death penalty is in itself so problematic -- appeals, protests, etc.; AND obviously he would have preferred to die, so having to LIVE, locked up, where he will have to contemplate his misdeeds for years and years and years is as fitting a punishment as can be got.

Who knows, he may eventually be inspired to tell the story of how he came to do what he did, and that information may shed further light on the destructive effects of scientology beliefs and practice on people's sanity and judgment.

Unfortunately, nothing can bring back Tom Ciancio, and his loss will be felt by his family for the rest of their lives. Should never have happened. I hope they will be in the prayers of all who know about this tragedy.

................

Now, all that said and done, I'm very curious about Fowler's mental and physical state as a result of his self-inflicted gunshot wound. Is he in need of special medical care? for how long? Can he speak? what is the condition of his brain and cognitive functions?

Does anyone know? have you seen any information about this anywhere?
 

Feral

Rogue male
I actually think that his notes and everything point toward preplanning the murder - not the suicide.

If he planned to commit suicide he would never have taken the OT materials with him. <SNIP>

.

I just remembered something, it was mandated that solo nots auditors were not allowed to leave their materials at their workplace over night. It would seem that Rex went to work with his folder and his glock handgun.

Why? Why didn't he leave his materials at home in his safe that every solo nots auditor has to have? Was he planning to fly his ruds afterward?

Very little of anything Rex did makes any sense at all to me, I think he spun when he left Flag, he'd just received 27 ints of FPRD to get onto OTVII.

How could a person do what he did after all that FPRD you ask? Maybe that's why he needed a gun, because he was discovering that the tech didn't work.
 
T

TheSneakster

Guest
I don't always agree with you Michael, but in this you are spot on.

GreyWolf,

If you always agreed with me, you would be boring! :p

Uphold your own integrity always, and I will always respect you. :thumbsup:
 

Thrak

Gold Meritorious Patron
I just remembered something, it was mandated that solo nots auditors were not allowed to leave their materials at their workplace over night. It would seem that Rex went to work with his folder and his glock handgun.

Why? Why didn't he leave his materials at home in his safe that every solo nots auditor has to have? Was he planning to fly his ruds afterward?

Very little of anything Rex did makes any sense at all to me, I think he spun when he left Flag, he'd just received 27 ints of FPRD to get onto OTVII.

How could a person do what he did after all that FPRD you ask? Maybe that's why he needed a gun, because he was discovering that the tech didn't work.

If he really did just get 27 ints of fprd then maybe it does make a little sense. I bet Ciancio's name came up many, many times and I wouldn't be surprised if those folders have been shredded at this point.
 

Jump

Operating teatime
If he really did just get 27 ints of fprd then maybe it does make a little sense. I bet Ciancio's name came up many, many times and I wouldn't be surprised if those folders have been shredded at this point.

I dunno if they shred, maybe they're deep in Trementina by now.
 

Arthur Dent

Silver Meritorious Patron
I'm glad it is over. That was extremely short. I think that is just how the judge wanted it. Short and (not so) sweet, no muss, no fuss about scientology or religion. Fowler was prolly brainwashed through osa handlers that he'd better not do anything other than STFU and sit on his hands while the trial was applied to him and then be off to his cell. I imagine his wife is still in and and was under osa watch for bad indicators like wanting to have character witnesses, etc.

Maybe he will write a story about what led up to this. Perhaps one day his wife can post it here or write it herself.

Did he really have 27 intensives? I've read that a few times on threads but thought it was an off the cuff exaggeration. Anyone know? That may have
seriously screwed him up. He must have had some wad of cash (never safe around scn.). That is over $200K just to get ON OTVII. Geez! Didn't he know that your tech estimate is relative to your wealth? :duh:

My sympathies to the Cianco family as they are the ones who have truly suffered.
 

Royal Prince Xenu

Trust the Psi Corps.
I actually think that his notes and everything point toward preplanning the murder - not the suicide.

If he planned to commit suicide he would never have taken the OT materials with him. He would have either left them somewhere secure in his house or sent them back to Flag. He obviously expected to still be in control when it was done and would be able to ensure that they were taken care of. I think the suicide attempt was actually remorse.

There was also no need for him to go to work to a planned meeting - if his intent was to off himself.

So he turned up with a gun at a scheduled appointment and executed the guy.

Hmm sounds like pre-planned murder to me.

Given that we don't know what all the little notes said, we are speculating. It still looks to me like he was finalizing or "ending cycle" on business/personal matters when he then may have intended to leave the building, knowing that the OT materials would in his wife's care.

R. Budd Dwyer killed himself by gunshot at a public press briefing. He, too, could have easily driven to an isolated spot & shot himself. Who goes to a press conference - full of friends and supporters - to kill themselves ?

I remember reading an article in 70s from the u.s.: A female newsreader started the bulletin with "And now, for the first time on live TV, you are going to see a real suicide," and she promptly pulled a gun and shot herself.

I don't buy the intention to commit suicide because he could have done that anywhere, a back road in his car, at home in his room, etc.

Why go to the company that you care so much about and blow your brains out in your office and leave a gruesome scene for co-workers to deal with. if he planned a suicide he had plenty of time to think of how to carry that out.

He showed up at work for a meeting, doesn't make sense he went there for a suicide.

Like I said above: "ending cycle" on various matters before sneaking off to do the deed un-noticed.

How come the news outlets never say "Reverend Rex Fowler convicted".

I smell a Rat

1. 4 days from Jury Selection to conviction.
2. Motive not established
3. None of Rex's Scientology staff called as character witnesses so they can't be cross examined.
4. No mention of briefcase contents or evidence found within.
5. The fact that Rex is a reverend is never mentioned in the trial.
6. No mention of deeding over the Business building to Scientology/WISE member as part of liquidation of assets (Don't hold me to this one I was skimming a pantload of documents and that is what I thought I read)

Sounds like OSA got to them. Too fast, too orchistrated, too surgical, too a-typical.

The Attorneys and the Judge Should be investigated for possible clam juice contamination.

I sense what you mean, but I would be investigating OSA and the Defence. I very much doubt they would have gotten to the Prosecution or the Judge. I would be more inclined to think that OSA would have been working on Rex as best they could to make sure he went to the gallows as quickly and quietly as possible under the guise of the "Greater Good" crap.

I'm now guessing that if a plea of "Not Guilty" is mandatory, the next best thing was to offer no real defence? We'll have to wait and see if there's an appeal. If not, and he goes to sentencing without a whimper then it is pretty much case closed which also may have just been the easiest way out for him. I'm sure there would be many cases where the Defendant pleaded guilty or just went with the flow because fighting it was simply "too hard".
 

paradox

ab intra silentio vera
Sorry, Co$ did not shoot Ciancio. Rex Fowler did.

Deal with it.

Right. Co$, following the founder's con of amateurish mental health dreck, only effectively shot Fowler's mind, sanity, and spirit to pieces. A literal Bridge to Total Prison for this one.

Deal with that.
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
Laura Zaspel the instigator. Shame Shame.

This pisses me off.......

Laura Zaspel the instigator. Shame Shame.

'Fowler Trial Day 2: Ex-Fowler Software CEO Tears Up On Stand - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver'

[..] 4:30 PM --

The former president and CEO of Fowler Software choked back tears on the stand Thursday afternoon, recalling how she arranged the fateful meeting between Tom Ciancio and Rex Fowler where Ciancio would be gunned down.


In the weeks leading up the shooting, Fowler and Ciancio "were going back and forth" over Ciancio's demand to be paid $9,918 in severance, said Laura Zaspel, who headed the company until she resigned weeks after the Dec. 30, 2009, killing.

Fowler had insisted that Ciancio owed the company money, because he oversaw a client firm that never paid its debt, she said. Ciancio threatened to sue, if money he invested in Fowler Software wasn't repaid.

Finally, Zaspel told Fowler in a private meeting that they should pay Ciancio what he wanted. "I thought it was the fair," she recalled telling the company founder.

Zaspel said when she e-mailed Ciancio the day before the shooting that the severance was approved, "He asked to come in and get the check that afternoon."

On the stand, Zaspel was choked back tears and was unable to speak.

Finally, she explained why she couldn't personally meet with Ciancio to end the dispute.

"I was running out the door to a meeting" on Dec.29, 2009, she said. "And I wasn't going to be in the office on Wednesday." Another manager also was unavailable.

Instead, Zaspel said she asked Fowler to handle the payoff with his one-time close partner.

Ciancio had resigned, partly because he was upset that Fowler had made an unauthorized $175,000 donation with company funds to the Church of Scientology, colleagues told investigators.

The money loss slashed the reserves of a company already reeling from a bad economy, Zaspel said.

After the diversion of funds in early 2009 was revealed, Fowler apologized in writing to company partners. He also vowed to repay the money.

Fowler resigned his position as chief executive officer of the firm and Zaspel become CEO.

Prosecutor Yvette Werner asked why Fowler apologized.

"He realized it was a breach of trust by doing it in the first place," Zaspel said. "He was taking responsibility for the donation, paying it back."

During the dispute over the severance payment, Werner asked if things got "heated" between the two men?

"There was never threats or shouting," Zaspel replied.

Later, defense attorney Sarah Quinn asked: "You didn't expect any violence to happen" during the final meeting?

"Absolutely not," Zaspel replied.

In fact, she said, "I thought they'd shake hands and talk."

The slaying investigation and trial has been intensely watched by critics of the Church of Scientology, including many who say Fowler Software had several employees who were Scientologists and the firm adhered to Scientology business practices.

Werner asked Zaspel about unusual words she used to describe her frustration with Ciancio in e-mails to Fowler about the ongoing settlement negotiations.

When the prosecutor asked what Zaspel meant when she referred to Ciancio being "entheta," she replied "not nice," referring to her frustration with Ciancio during negotiations.

"Theta" is a Scientology term describing a "natural creative energy" or positive life force, according to WhatIsScientology.org.

An "entheta" is when this life force becomes agitated or "bad" energy, according to websites of Scientology critics.

Zaspel had also e-mailed Fowler, referring to Ciancio as "a person who has been 'enturbulating' us to get what he sees as justice."

Several online websites and popular dictionaries said the verb "enturbulate" was coined by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and means "to agitate or disturb; to upset, harass," according to allwords.com.

But on the stand Thursday, Zaspel said she and Ciancio became "very good friends" and socialized together. She praised him as a hard worker who was "very, very smart."

Zaspel said she only became frustrated with Ciancio and expressed a lack of trust in him in e-mails to Fowler because of a few disagreements in settlement talks. [..]
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/26983968/detail.html
 

GreyWolf

Gold Meritorious Patron
I wonder if Rex knew, when he pulled the trigger that he would almost certainly be Declared for his actions and maybe that is why he turned the gun on himself? And of course the attempted suicide would be it's own declarable offence. Any way you look at it, I don't think he will be going any farther up the bridge.
 

Mystic

Crusader
Being a scientologist, being a minister of the Church of Scientology, and being a scientology "OT" are all qualifying factors for potential suicide. Toss in a study of hubbard-spewed "admin" which would include the spewed "Responsibility of Leaders" spew, murder and arson gets added to the potentials.
 
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