A Grayson County man has been sentenced to prison after assaulting an elderly Falls of Rough realtor while demanding the victim “write up the contract” and sign a home over to him.
Keith S. Rowe, 72, recently pled guilty to second-degree robbery, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, third-degree terroristic threatening, and fourth-degree assault, according to Grayson Co. Sheriff Norman Chaffins.
Rowe was initially charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping, fourth-degree assault and third-degree terroristic threatening.
Rowe and the victim are acquainted, according to the arrest citation.
“Upon entering the home, “Rowe locked the door and shortly thereafter began assaulting the elderly victim. Rowe then demanded that he write up the contract and sign the home over to him and threatened to kill him if he did not. Rowe then ordered the victim to turn over his cell phone or that he would ‘beat his brains in,’” Chaffins said.
The victim gave the suspect his cell phone.
The victim then told the suspect that he could not write up the contract without his computer. The victim, who lives across the street from the home he was showing to Rowe, was told by the suspect to go to his house and write up the contract.
“(Rowe) told the elderly victim that if he attempted to get in his vehicle that he would tie a rope around his neck and drag him with his 4-wheeler. He even pointed out a rope attached to the 4-wheeler that he drove to the scene,” according to Chaffins.
Both the victim and Rowe arrived at the victim’s home, and as the victim sat at his computer, Rowe brandished a pocketknife and told the victim, according to Chaffins, that he “was going to kill him once he wrote the contract.”
The elderly victim wrote the contract and handed it over to Rowe. Rowe then sat at the kitchen table while the victim stood up and moved toward a small foyer near the kitchen, which contained an exit.
The victim told Chaffins that he knew that if he stayed any longer that he was going to be killed.
“He stated that he bolted for the door and was able to make it to his vehicle across the street,” Chaffins said.
The victim, who Chaffins said was “bloody and bruised” from being assaulted by Rowe, drove to the Grayson Co. Sheriff’s Office, as he left Rowe at his residence.
Later that evening, the suspect was located by family members as Rowe agreed to meet Chaffins at the sheriff’s office. He was interviewed “and admitted to most of the elements in which his elderly victim had described,” Chaffins stated.
Rowe was sentenced to 15 years in prison, five years of probation and six months of home incarceration.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
