Roderick Earl Sowells has been convicted of second-degree murder for a 2023 stabbing in Rancho Cordova, facing a potential 31 years to life sentence.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento District Attorney’s Office has announced a man has been convicted of second-degree murder in connection with a deadly 2023 stabbing in Rancho Cordova.
A jury convicted Roderick Earl Sowells of second-degree murder and “found true the allegation that Sowells used a deadly weapon in the commission of the murder,” the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
The press release goes on to say that on Aug. 12, 2023, the victim and his friend were at a Folsom Boulevard light rail station, sitting on a bench, when Sowells got off the train and approached the two.
A fight broke out between the victim’s friend and Sowells, before a glass bottle was thrown at Sowells, hitting him in the head.
“Sowells pulled out a sharp object and challenged the victim’s friend to a fight, but the friend walked away and left the area,” the press release stated. “Sowells then turned his anger toward the victim and stabbed him 18 times with the sharp object.”
A witness called 911 and the victim was taken to the hospital, but they died from their injuries a few weeks later.
Sowells faces a maximum sentence of 31 years to life in prison, with sentencing set for July 17, 2026.
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