Bond granted for Macon man charged in 2012 double murder; gambling loss cited as motive
A witness has told police that a man shot to death inside an east Macon duplex had won $2,200 from the man charged with murder in his death.
Antonio D. Fluellen, 26, was found with a gunshot wound to the head inside the duplex, located on Cowan Street in the Fort Hill neighborhood shortly after 11:30 p.m. Aug. 30, 2012.
Another man, 25-year-old Deundra M. Emory, also was inside the house. He’d been shot in the head and back and stabbed in the head, back, arm and neck, prosecutor Larissa Olliverre said during a Thursday hearing in Bibb County Superior Court.
It’s been more than three years since 38-year-old Rodney “Rock” Lowery was charged with two counts of murder in the slayings. In that time, he’s served time for violating parole, but otherwise has been held without bond.
Rick Waller, Lowery’s lawyer, said his client denies any involvement in the killings.
Citing the lack of an indictment in the case, Waller requested a “reasonable bond.” Lowery was entitled to a bond because he wasn’t indicted within 90 days of his arrest.
Judge Verda Colvin expressed concern about the length of time that’s passed without an indictment in the case.
“That’s unconscionable in a system such as ours,” she said.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Colvin set a $125,000 bond.
Speaking after the hearing, District Attorney David Cooke said the case hasn’t been presented to a grand jury due to an ongoing investigation.
Prosecutors only received a complete case file earlier this month, he said.
Authorities have said Lowery and a friend had been doing work on a duplex across the street from Fluellen’s duplex.
The friend has told police that Lowery left the house across the street from Fluellen’s about 10 or 15 minutes before he heard gunshots, Olliverre said during the hearing.
Running back into the house, Lowery told the friend “they were shooting outside” and “I shouldn’t have done it,” Olliverre said.
A neighbor told authorities that Lowery and his friend came to her house after the shooting and asked to stay until the police left.
The neighbor described the men as being “nervous” and “agitated,” Olliverre said.
Lowery asked the neighbor to go to the crime scene and see what the police were doing.
“He asked everyone who walked by her house that night ‘what was going on, what had been said, had they gotten search dogs out,’” she said.
The neighbor also said Lowery asked her to lie to help him concoct a false alibi, Olliverre said.
When Lowery spoke to police, he had scratches on his body that he explained came from working on the house with Emory earlier on the day of the shooting.
Witnesses contradict Lowery’s explanation, saying Emory had been at a hospital with his mother from early in the morning until about 5 p.m. and then at his uncle’s house until 10 p.m., Olliverre said.
Lowery was on parole for burglary, two counts of aggravated assault and firearms charges at the time of the killing, she said.
This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 9:31 PM with the headline "Bond granted for Macon man charged in 2012 double murder; gambling loss cited as motive ."