Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

special to the Signal

Attorney General Luther Strange announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Friday upheld the Lowndes County murder conviction of Randall Timothy Downs.

Downs, 54, of Letohachee, was convicted in Lowndes County Circuit Court in October of 2015 of the murder of Gerardo Viera.

Evidence was presented at trial showing on the afternoon of May 6, 2014, Downs was standing on the porch of his former girlfriend, who arrived in a vehicle with the victim, Viera. After Viera indicated he would be back later that evening, Downs drew a knife and fatally stabbed him in the abdomen.

The case was prosecuted at trial by Lowndes County District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer’s office.  Downs was sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment for his murder conviction. He subsequently sought to have his conviction reversed on appeal.

The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Section handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm the conviction. The Court did so in a decision issued on Friday, August 5.

Attorney General Strange commended Assistant Attorney General John Porter of the Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Section for his successful work in this case.