Gower to undergo second evaluation
Posted On: Saturday, Jan. 19 2008 01:43 AM
By Jon Schroeder
Killeen Daily HeraldLAMPASAS – Donald Gower, 39, will be evaluated again for competency to stand trial on charges connected with the shooting death of his wife, Hidi Gower, at the Kempner Veterans of Foreign Wars post on July 4, 2007.
That ruling came Friday at Gower's scheduled pretrial hearing. He remains in Lampasas County Jail until he is transferred to a hospital.
Gower was evaluated about a month ago, said John Greenwood, assistant Lampasas County and 27th District Attorney, but he will soon go to Vernon State Hospital to be checked again.
Greenwood could not comment on the results of the previous examination of Gower's mental health, but said that with the aid of drugs if needed, "there's a real likelihood that he will be judged competent."
No further proceedings have been scheduled pending those results, which must come in the next 90 days. Gower waived his right to an extradition hearing on July 12.
Gower and four others were arrested after John Robert Martinez turned himself in and provided information about the July 4 death, investigators said in July. According to an arrest affidavit, Martinez turned himself in to investigators, then led them to the four other suspects in the crime.
The pretrial hearing for Martinez, 27, that was set for Friday was rescheduled beforehand for Feb. 8, along with that of Chaka Romain Johnson.
Johnson was out of custody on bond before his original pretrial hearing Jan. 18, but his bond has since been revoked. He is being held without bond in Lampasas County Jail.
According to the arrest affidavit, Martinez described a murder plot that started in March of this year, when Gower offered $250 to Martinez to buy a gun and then asked him to murder Gower's wife. Martinez stated that, at the time, he was unable to complete the task, but was approached by Gower again on July 1.
Gower allegedly enlisted the help of Ellison and Johnson and held them on a retainer of $10,000 until the planned shooting could be completed, the affidavit stated.
Martinez said Gower's reasoning behind the slaying included an undisclosed amount of money from the collection of a life insurance policy on the heels of the couple's impending divorce, the affidavit stated.
When Texas Ranger Jesse Ramos and investigator John Seery located Martinez, he handed over a .45-caliber revolver, which tests confirmed to be the weapon used in the crime, the report stated. The arrest affidavit said Martinez provided a written confession, describing the night of July 4, when he drove Chaka Johnson to the Kempner VFW. The group had previously agreed on that location to shoot Hidi Gower.
Since they did not all meet at one time to discuss it, further investigation revealed that Regina Edwards acted as a communications link between Johnson, Gower and Ellison by way of recovered text messages, the affidavit stated.
Martinez stated that Ellison's role, in addition to plotting the killing, was limited to providing a hooded sweatshirt for Johnson, the apparent shooter, to wear, the affidavit stated.
The affidavit stated that while Johnson admitted to being with Martinez the night of July 4, he told police he had no involvement in the shooting, a fact disputed by other sources.