Visalia Police have identified the suspects in several photos we anonymously received, which show them as part of white supremacist organization. Still, evidence the police have was not enough for the district attorney's office to charge two of the suspects with the murder at least for now.
An anonymous submission into the Action Newsroom shows murder suspects and brothers Phillip and Nicholas Lowe gesturing a Nazi salute in front of a swastika flag. Another photo taken from the third suspect's MySpace page, shows Cody Herman's picture with the letters "KRK" on the bottom.
Herman and the Lowe brothers all appear to be affiliated with a white supremacist organization called "Knight Riders" in Visalia, and are all suspected of beating to death Quinn Morris, an African-American homeless man back in December of 2008. Police are investigating whether his murder was a hate crime.
Sgt. Gary Williams said, "We believe he was involved in an altercation with these three individuals where they assaulted him with their hands and feet and then after the altercation he returned back to where he was staying and later that evening passed away."
Visalia Police submitted their case to the district attorney's office and two of the suspects, Phillip Lowe and Cody Herman, were expected to be arraigned on murder charges Friday. Instead, the district attorney's office decided not to file charges against them at this time and requested additional information from the police department.
Sgt. Gary Williams said, "Our detectives are going to continue to work the case develop leads investigate uh calls when they come in to get that evidence from the DA's office and hopefully we'll get a filing at a later date."
Sgt Gary Williams says they are confident they have the right suspects, adding they have a key piece of evidence seized from the home of one of the suspects that ties them to Morris's murder. As for the evidence they'll be trying to gather. "The evidence that was collected we'll be looking for DNA on and submitting that also."
Phillip Lowe and Cody Herman will be released from custody Friday night. The third suspect, Nick Lowe, isn't supposed to be arraigned until Monday, unless the DA decides not to file charges against him, as well.
Family members of the suspect told Action News they're relieved Lowe and Herman are being released and claim they are innocent.
