A former Salem prison guard was sentenced to life in state custody on Friday for murdering his brother at a home in Dallas in 2024. Last month, a Polk County jury found Alonzo E. Rowell, 52, guilty of shooting and killing his brother Tony Miller, according to a statement by the Polk County Distri ct Attorney’s Office. On Friday, Polk County Circuit Court Judge Rafael Caso sentenced Rowell to life in prison for second-degree murder, along with concurrent sentences for first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and reckless endangering, the statement said. A jury found Rowell guilty of each charge on June 26, court records show. On Nov, 9, 2024, Rowell, of Dallas, killed Miller, 54, outside of the trailer where Miller lived on Southeast Monmouth Cutoff Road, Salem Reporter previously reported. Make Salem Reporter your trusted source for accurate, independent local news – every day. Stay informed and connected to your community. Subscribe today. Officers with the Dallas Police Department responded to the scene around 9:30 a.m. after shots were reported at the home, the department said in a statement at the time. Responders tried to revive Miller, who died at the scene, Dallas Police said. After the shooting, Rowell drove to the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem where he previously worked as a prison guard.  He tried to contact corrections staff at the facility after arriving but never got inside the prison, Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton previously told Salem Reporter. A SWAT team from the Salem Police Department then came to the scene and had a standoff with Rowell before arresting him, Felton said at the time. Friday’s statement from Felton’s office said other law enforcement agencies were also on scene for the standoff and Rowell’s arrest. Rowell resigned from his position at the penitentiary in April 2023 as part of a settlement agreement, according to records from Oregon’s Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. The records don’t make clear what prompted the resignation or settlement. During the case, Rowell’s attorneys argued that he acted under extreme emotional distress during the crime.  If at least 10 jurors decided in favor of that argument, Rowell would have been convicted of first-degree manslaughter instead of murder, according to the verdict. In Oregon, first-degree manslaughter carries a 10-year minimum sentence rather than the 25-year minimum for murder. The jury ultimately found he was not under the influence of emotional disturbance, according to the verdict. Rowell will become eligible for parole after serving 25 years of his sentence, the district attorney’s office said. Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected]. The post Former Salem prison guard receives life sentence for murdering brother appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less