BOTETOURT CO., Va. – A Salem man has been indicted in a murder-for-hire plot following an extensive investigation by the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office.
On Apr. 25 at approximately 9:50 a.m. deputies responded to the 4600 block of Blue Ridge Turnpike after Botetourt EMS received a call of an unresponsive 97-year-old woman. Upon arrival, deputies determined the woman was deceased.
Recommended Videos
According to the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office the body of the victim was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Roanoke where an autopsy was performed and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The victim was identified as 97-year-old Cathrine Graff of Fincastle. Detectives with the BCSO worked in collaboration with the Medical Examiner’s Office and the office of the Commonwealth’s attorney to uncover evidence pointing to a family member as the mastermind behind the murder-for-hire scheme targeting the victim.
Through their investigative efforts, the BCSO said detectives identified 53-year-old James Hopper of Fincastle as the alleged orchestrator and identified 30-year-old Steven Fowler of Salem as the individual who hired to carry out the murder.
During the course of the investigation, Hopper took his own life and on Dec. 3 detectives served Fowler an indictment for Aggravated Murder for Hire.
BCSO says Fowler has been incarcerated in the Botetourt Craig Regional Jail since Apr. 26 and is being held without bond.
“I want to commend our detectives for their tireless efforts in uncovering the truth behind this tragic case,” said Sheriff Matthew Ward. “Thanks to our detectives’ diligent work, we identified the people responsible for this cowardly and evil act. Justice doesn’t take a day off, and neither do we.”
The BCSO says that the investigation continues to evolve and this information is based on a preliminary and ongoing investigation.