DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced a homicide defendant to 21 years of imprisonment on Aug. 14.
Robert Lowe, 42, was convicted on May 6 of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Kenneth Goins on April 27, 2024 on the 1300 block of U Street, NW.
“Kenny was not just my son, he was my heart… he is so very missed,” Goins mother told Judge Edelman at sentencing, asking him to impose the maximum sentence allowed in the guidelines of 12-to-24 years.
“The holidays are not the same. They’re a reminder that my only child is not here,” she stated.
Goins’ dad told Judge Edelman he stood before him as a father “whose heart has literally been torn apart.” He stated he, his wife, and all of Goins’ loved ones are heartbroken by his loss every day.
Goins’ dad discussed the difficulty he endured when he had to “delete” Goins as his beneficiary, stating “Robert Lowe had already deleted my son from the world and my family.”
He highlighted “the constant ache of missing my son in ordinary moments… grief and tears don’t ask permission before overflowing you.”
“God spared me the agony of losing my child on my birthday,” Goins’ father continued, stating “one hour after my birthday ended, my child was murdered.”
“My world shattered,” Goins’ dad said, recalling the information he later found out about the incident. “He [Lowe] slurred my son’s manhood by killing him,” after calling Goins the n-word.
“He made sure [the slur] was one of the last words Kenny heard,” the dad insisted.
He requested Judge Edelman impose the maximum sentence, “without malice, bitterness or vengeance.” He argued Lowe sent him and his wife “into our golden years without the strength, companionship and support,” of their only son, and has shown no remorse.
“Robert Lowe has given us a life sentence… He unreasonably and unfairly killed my son,” Goins’ dad stated.
Prosecutors read several statements from loved ones, including Goins’ nine-year-old daughter, who wrote her life had forever changed, and “no one can replace him.”
According to the prosecution, the “senseless crime” happened with “no excuse for it. No reason or explanation.” They requested the maximum sentence, stating bystanders could’ve been hurt or killed.
However, Lisbeth Sapirstein, Lowe’s attorney, disagreed. “This verdict devastated me,” she said, adding that Lowe maintains his innocence. According to Sapirstein, Lowe himself lost a son to gun violence while he was incarcerated pending trial.
“He cannot undo that Mr. Goins has died,” Sapirstein insisted, adding “he maintains he was caught in this fight.”
“Remorse requires somebody to say they did it… You can’t have remorse when you maintain you didn’t do it,” Sapirstein continued. “Mr. Goins is dead, and Mr. Lowe can’t undo that.” She requested Judge Edelman impose a sentence on the lower end of the guidelines.
“I feel their pain,” Lowe told Judge Edelman, highlighting “I lost my son, an African American son, to gun violence.”
“Even though I didn’t do it, I felt their pain,” Lowe said, adding “I’m not guilty.”
“The type of person I am is not the type of person you make me out to be,” Lowe continued, insinuating he, a white man, can’t be racist because he has three mixed children.
“I can’t have remorse for something I didn’t do,” Lowe insisted. “I pray for y’all every night… I pray for Kenny to look over me every night.”
Judge Edelman stated this was “a pretty odd case,” adding he “know[s] virtually nothing as to why this happened.”
Judge Edelman recalled the evidence from the trial, which he stated demonstrated Lowe approached Goins at a bar as he sat with friends, and assaulted him from behind before fleeing the scene. Judge Edelman argued there’s “nothing close to a doubt” that Lowe committed the shooting, as he was clearly the instigator and aggressor.
“He’s responsible for this senseless act,” Judge Edelman proclaimed, adding “over a whole lot of nothing. Mr. Goins really didn’t need to die this way.”
Judge Edelman imposed a 252 month sentence for murder, 60 months for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and 12 months for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, which will run concurrently, totaling 21 years.
No further dates were set.
