Date: Fri 01-Oct-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

gowdy-murder-suspects-pleas

Full Text:

Gowdy Murder Suspects Plead Not Guilty

The two young men charged with murder in the July shooting death of Jason

Gowdy, 15, of Pine Street, Sandy Hook, entered not guilty pleas in Danbury

Superior Court Tuesday.

Roberto Lugo, 19, of Stratford, and Alejandro Melendez, 19, of Bridgeport are

charged with felony murder, first-degree robbery, and conspiracy to commit

first-degree robbery. The charges are punishable by life in prison.

Both men are being held in prison on $1 million bond.

Mr Melendez was ordered to return to court October 20; Mr Lugo was ordered to

return October 29.

Police charged the two men July 13 in the fatal shooting of the Henry Abbott

Vocational Technical High School student who was accosted and robbed while

walking along Riverside Road near Cherry Street with two friends on the night

of July 10.

At a probable cause hearing on September 2, Danbury Superior Court Judge

Patrick Carroll ruled the state had enough evidence to pursue felony murder

charges against Mr Melendez and Mr Lugo. Witnesses testified that Mr Lugo shot

Jason Gowdy twice in the head after asking him for drugs, weapons, money, and

jewelry. Mr Melendez was identified as the driver of the car and has been

accused of supplying Lugo with the murder weapon.