Lonnie Rowland

Lonnie Rowland, a 36-year-old African-American man known to his loved ones as “Meechie,” was a dedicated father and a respected corrections officer. He had been raised by his grandmother, Gertrude Rowland, in her North Philadelphia home since he was in high school and continued to live there with her and other relatives. A quiet man who mostly kept to himself off the clock, Lonnie was the father of two children: a 6-year-old son and a 10-month-old daughter. He had spent his last Father's Day with them just hours before his death. His grandmother remembered him as a wonderful person who didn't have any enemies and was focused on his work.

For 12 years, Lonnie had worked for the Philadelphia Prison System, most recently at the Cambria Community Center, a minimum-security facility for inmates on work release or serving weekend sentences. His colleagues and superiors regarded him as a dependable and well-liked officer. A prison system spokesman, Robert Eskind, described him as a "good officer, dependable, well-liked, and respected by his colleagues." The Corrections Department chaplain, Phyllis Taylor, said Lonnie "was the correctional officer's correctional officer because he was fair, firm, consistent, dignified."

On the night of Sunday, June 20, 2010, Lonnie was at home in the 2400 block of West Elkhart Street, getting ready for his overnight shift, which started at 11:00 p.m. He was already in his uniform when tragedy struck. At approximately 10:45 p.m., his 86-year-old grandmother, who was sleeping upstairs, was jolted awake by the sound of multiple gunshots. Rushing downstairs, she made a horrifying discovery in the living room.

Gertrude found her grandson, Lonnie, lying on the floor, having been shot multiple times in the head and chest with a 40-caliber handgun. A man in a hooded sweatshirt was straddling his body. The gunman then forced Gertrude into a closet, demanded money, and ransacked her bedroom before fleeing the house. After about 15 minutes, she managed to get out of the closet and rushed to her grandson's side. "I went over and I shook him and I shook him and I shook him, but he was gone," she recalled. Emergency services were called, and Lonnie was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:07 p.m.

The Philadelphia Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation. Detectives quickly focused on a person of interest from within the family circle. Police sources indicated they were questioning Lonnie’s cousin, Carl Rowland, who was 27 at the time. Carl had recently been released from prison the previous month after serving time for burglary and simple assault and had been staying at the family home on West Elkhart Street.

Gertrude Rowland told reporters she did not get a clear look at the killer's face but saw him crouched over Lonnie's body. Police told the media that their suspect was a member of the family with a long criminal history. Despite the initial focus on a person of interest and the questioning of his cousin, no arrests were publicly announced in the days and weeks following the murder.

The case of Lonnie Rowland's murder remains unresolved. The initial flurry of news reports in June 2010 detailed a promising lead with a family member being questioned, but information about the investigation's progress has not been updated since. The motive for the killing was never officially released. As of the last reports, the investigation was ongoing.

The death of the dedicated father and corrections officer left his family shattered and a community searching for answers. His grandmother's words painted a picture of a man who was simply trying to provide for his family. "Meechie didn't do nothing but work," she said. Anyone with information about the murder of Lonnie Rowland is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department's homicide detectives at 215-686-3334 or the anonymous tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).