Felon Convicted of Murdering Father

An Oxnard felon was convicted of murder this week for fatally shooting his 67-year-old father during an argument last year.

Lee Crowley, 48, now faces a minimum sentence of 45 years to life in prison. The sentence was increased by about 30 years because the crime was Crowley’s “third strike,” prosecutors said.

“It means he is probably not going to see the light of day again,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Jim Ellison said Thursday.

A jury deliberated only two hours before finding Crowley guilty of second-degree murder on Wednesday in the first part of a two-part case.

The verdict represents the third felony conviction for the man, who previously served five years in state prison for robbery and a burglary in Los Angeles County.

In addition to the murder, Crowley was charged with a separate felony count for being a felon in possession of a firearm during the shooting Jan. 25, 1996.

The jury was not informed of the charge during the three-day murder trial but was told to return to court Thursday morning for the second part of the case.

At that point, Crowley waived a jury trial and the case was decided by Superior Court Judge James P. Cloninger, who found Crowley guilty of being a felon in possession of a gun, which adds an enhancement to his sentence.

He is scheduled to be sentenced May 15.

The murder of Robert Crowley occurred after the father and son got into a fight at the father’s home, Ellison said. Lee Crowley wanted a ride to Los Angeles International Airport to pick up his brother.

But the father, knowing that someone else was going to greet the young man, declined to take Lee Crowley to the airport. A fight ensued in which Robert Crowley repeatedly asked his son to leave, Ellison said.

At one point, the father retrieved a gun, which Lee Crowley grabbed and used to shoot his father at close range.