The Chilling Case of David Dowler

A Series of Mysterious Deaths

The quiet town of Odessa, Texas, was rocked by a series of bizarre deaths between 1983 and 1987, leaving a trail of mystery and fear. At the center of this disturbing saga was David Albert Dowler, an American man born in 1953 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dowler, who hailed from a family steeped in military tradition—his father being a USAF colonel—grew up as the elder son in a household that blended American and Japanese cultures. As a youth, Dowler was described as a caring boy, excelling in academics and extracurricular activities such as wrestling and karate at Sandia High School.

Despite his early promise, Dowler's life took a different turn after he failed to graduate from the University of New Mexico, where he had pursued electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. In 1976, he married Janet, with whom he fathered two daughters. The family later relocated to Midland, Texas, where Dowler found employment as a sales representative at Daniel Industries. During this time, he crossed paths with Lisa Blythe Krieg, Leza Chandler, and Juan Antonio "Tony" Casillas, all of whom would later become central figures in a chilling series of events.

The Murders

The first death occurred on August 16, 1983, when 26-year-old Lisa Krieg was discovered lifeless in her home. The autopsy revealed she had been suffering from anorexia, but the actual cause of death remained elusive. On the same day, Dowler made a startling phone call to Krieg’s ex-husband, Tim, claiming she had committed suicide using cyanide he had provided. Dowler added that he had cleaned her body to make her death appear natural. His bizarre claims extended to assertions of being an undercover FBI agent who had previously saved Krieg from assassins.

The tragic pattern continued with the death of 28-year-old Tony Casillas on February 12, 1986. Found in his Odessa home, Casillas’ body contained traces of cyanide and poppers, substances used for muscle relaxation. Despite the presence of these chemicals, the exact cause of death was undetermined, prompting authorities to preserve the body for further testing.

The final death, and the one that would ultimately lead to Dowler’s arrest, occurred on June 29, 1987. Leza Chandler, aged 29, was found dead by her visiting friend, Kerri Dawn Middleton. The autopsy concluded that Chandler had succumbed to acute chloroform poisoning, strongly suggesting homicide. Investigators learned that Chandler and her friends, including Dowler, often gathered at her home to inhale chloroform in a misguided attempt at relaxation. Rumors of an affair between Chandler and Dowler led police to question him, culminating in his arrest for her murder.

The Trial and Aftermath

In September 1987, Dowler faced indictment for Chandler's death and charges related to the possession of illegal sound suppressors. His bail was set at $100,000. Meanwhile, authorities scrutinized the suspicious deaths of Dowler's acquaintances, including the unrelated case of Kathy Hicks, who had died of heart problems in 1986.

Dowler's arrest shocked his family and friends, who staunchly defended him as a gentle person incapable of violence. On December 30, 1987, a grand jury indicted Dowler for the murders of both Casillas and Krieg. As the trial unfolded, the prosecution presented evidence found in Dowler's residence, including empty chloroform bottles. Detective Mickey Brown admitted there was little evidence directly linking Dowler to Chandler's poisoning beyond circumstantial findings.

Dowler's defense attorney, Thomas Hirsch, argued the chemicals at Dowler's home were for making fireworks, not poison. He suggested Chandler’s ex-husband, Kyle, could be responsible for her death. Pat Carter, an occasional worker at Dowler’s shop, supported this by testifying that, while chloroform usage was witnessed, Dowler was never seen administering it.

The prosecution countered with testimony from Dr. Juan Garcia, a psychiatrist, who debunked the idea of Chandler being violent, and Tim Krieg, who recounted Dowler's eerie calls after Lisa Krieg’s death. Ultimately, on January 28, 1988, David Dowler was convicted of Leza Chandler’s murder and sentenced to life in prison with a chance for parole. District Attorney Eric Augesen labeled him a "vicious murderer" and a "cruel manipulator."

Sources

For further details, visit the original Wikipedia article: David Dowler