Convicted Murderer Sought in Killing of Pregnant Ex-Wife, Carjacking & Shooting
A Saint Paul parolee faces charges after police say he fatally shot his ex-wife, caused the death of her unborn child, then shot and carjacked another victim nearby.
The 100 block of Sycamore Street East in Saint Paul. via SPPD
Mychel Allan Stowers, 36, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree carjacking and two counts of assault, according to two criminal complaints filed in Ramsey County.
> See more of our latest coverage
On Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, officers responded around 9:08 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside an apartment at 139 Sycamore Street East. When they entered one of the units, officers detected gunpowder residue in the air and found the body of 35-year-old Damara Alexis Stowers on the floor of a spare bedroom. The complaint says Damara was discovered with her arms crossed at her waist and with her legs partially tucked beneath her, as if she had collapsed after being shot. Medics pronounced her dead at 9:26 p.m.
Investigators located five spent 9mm shell casings on the floor of the bedroom. Officers also found ultrasound photos inside the apartment, with the medical examiner later confirming Damara was approximately nine weeks pregnant at the time of her death. An autopsy revealed she sustained three gunshot wounds and her death was ruled a homicide.
Neighbors told police they heard four rapid gunshots followed by a brief pause, then one additional shot. Shortly after, two more gunshots were heard nearby, prompting a neighbor to call 911. One neighbor described seeing a man matching Stowers' description running from the apartment.
PREVIOUSLY: Woman Killed, Man Shot & Carjacked
Further investigation revealed Damara was in the process of being evicted and had allowed Stowers to stay with her despite not being on the lease. The complaint notes that Stowers was on parole for a 2008 second-degree murder conviction and had been living at a halfway house.
Stowers was granted permission to leave the halfway house and visit Damara on the day of the shooting. Department of Corrections records show Stowers was assigned to work release in March 2024. Court documents say the victim and the suspect were formerly married but it is unclear when they divorced.
Minutes after the fatal gunfire, police were called to the scene of a carjacking near 99 Acker Street, less than a block away from the apartment. Officers found a 26-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper leg. Witnesses reported that a man matching Stowers’ description approached the victim near the victim’s Audi A4. The suspect then shot the man, fired at another person nearby but missed, and then fled in the stolen Audi.
Police recovered two more 9mm shell casings at the carjacking scene, which preliminary analysis showed were fired from the same weapon used inside the apartment.
Following the carjacking, Stowers allegedly contacted an employee at the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, admitting he had shot someone on Acker Street and expressing his intent to turn himself in. But as of Friday, Oct. 25, Stowers has not surrendered to authorities and the stolen Audi was found abandoned in a parking lot on St. Clair Avenue in Saint Paul the day before.
In 2008, Stowers pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Antonio Sims, 20, during a February marijuana deal in the parking lot of JJ's Fish & Chicken on University Avenue. Stowers shot Sims twice while they were in the backseat of a vehicle, with Sims stumbling out and collapsing near the front door of the restaurant. Stowers and two other suspects were arrested about two hours later after a traffic stop.
Stowers was sentenced to 25 years for the 2008 homicide and had served around 2/3 of that sentence before he was released on parole earlier this year. As of publication, Stowers has not yet been located in relation to the Oct. 2024 homicide investigation. If you have any information related to the case or Stowers’ whereabouts, call 911.
> See more of our latest coverage
PREVIOUSLY: Woman Killed, Man Shot & Carjacked
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, The Hotline is available 24/7/365. Call: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), Chat: thehotline.org or Text: "START" to 88788