Parole Denied For Man Serving Life Sentence For 1983 Rape Conviction In Fayette County

FAYETTE, AL — The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles has denied parole for a man serving a life sentence for a 1983 first-degree rape conviction in Fayette County.

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Andy Hamlin, 24th judicial circuit district attorney, said he attended Wednesday’s parole hearing for Billy Ray Stowe at the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles in Montgomery and spoke in opposition to Stowe’s release.

Stowe, 65, is currently serving his life sentence at the Bibb County Correctional Facility.

At the hearing, Hamlin urged the three-member board to consider the violent nature of the crime and the potential risk to public safety.

Hamlin said the offense involved a home invasion during which the victim was deliberately targeted, held against her will and assaulted over an extended period.

“This was a calculated and predatory crime that caused lifelong harm to the victim,” Hamlin said in a statement. “The denial of parole reflects the seriousness of the offense and the importance of holding offenders accountable for violent acts of this nature, regardless of how much time has passed.”

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