PICTURED: Son charged with brutal murder of his war photographer father
The son of a famous war photographer who was found stabbed to death during a hiking trial in California has been photographed for the first time after being charged with murder.
Emir Abadzic Lowe, 19, appeared at the West Covina courthouse, shackled and wearing an anti-suicide vest, to be charged in the murder of his father Paul Lowe, 60.
Lowe, who covered the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, died of wounds to his neck.
He had been hiking around the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday when he was found and was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Emir is being held in the Los Angeles County Jail on a $2 million bond after crashing his car while trying to flee the scene.
Emir Abadzic Lowe, 19, showed up at the West Covina courthouse shackled and wearing an anti-suicide vest
Lowe, who covered the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, died of neck injuries
His body was discovered with “trauma to his upper body” and a stab wound to his neck, which the LA County Medical Examiner concluded was the cause of death, according to The independent.
The younger Lowe faces one count of murder and faces a maximum sentence of 25 to life plus one year in prison. His motive remains unknown.
Lowe was a professor at the University of the Arts London, as well as visiting professor of war studies at King’s College London (KCL).
He divided his time between London and the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, but was in Southern California to take care of ‘family matters’.
Amra Abadzic Lowe, his widow, told it The New York Times that their son was struggling with mental health problems and had been hospitalized for psychosis.
The younger Lowe faces one count of murder and faces a maximum sentence of 25 to life plus one year in prison
Emir is being held in Los Angeles County Jail on $2 million bond after crashing his car while trying to flee the scene
Lowe had traveled to the US to persuade his son to return to Britain after Emir left for a short trip, but stayed for several months, according to Amra.
On his social media pages, Lowe regularly shared images of him and his son in hiking areas in Bosnia, while his wife shared drawings that Emir had made as a child.
Lowe had made plans to meet his colleague Lara Jo Regan while in California, who became nervous after not hearing from him for days.
She told me KTL: ‘I went on Facebook and I was going to DM him to see what was going on.
“Then the first thing to emerge was news of his death, which was posted on his New York agency website. I was beyond shocked. I’m still a bit shocked.’
Producer and anchor at CNN Ika Ferrer Gotić posted on X that they met in 2019 and spent time unpacking the war crimes in Sarajevo and Bijeljina.
On his social media pages, Lowe regularly shared images of him and his son in hiking areas in Bosnia, while his wife shared drawings that Emir had made as a child, seen here
On his social media pages, Lowe regularly shared images of him and his son in hiking areas in Bosnia (photo: Emir seen in a post on his father’s page)
She said: ‘We lost more than a photographer when Paul Lowe passed away. We have lost a witness to our history, a storyteller who showed the world the truths that many wanted to ignore.”
‘His lens captured more than the horrors of war; it captured the resilience, survival and humanity of Sarajevo at its darkest moment.”
During his lifetime, Lowe had documented several global events, including the end of the Cold War.
However, his most powerful photo is said to have been taken during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992.
The photo – which was his most famous – was a black and white photo of a child with a ball while in Sarajevo, taken during a late afternoon winter walk.
Lowe taught at an academy through the VII Foundation, which trains emerging visual journalists from communities underrepresented in the media
“I happened to arrive on the scene and captured the ball being thrown in the air as if this was the street in the world,” he told The Guardian in a 2022 interview.
‘It’s a very normal thing for a child to do, but it happens against the backdrop of the tank trap, a hint of the ever-present danger.’
‘The siege of Sarajevo was very difficult for the children, who obviously did not want to stay indoors. They would risk their lives for a bit of fun,” he added.
The VII Foundation, which was founded in 2001 by independent photojournalists, shared a photo of Lowe’s wife Amra on Instagram.
Emir is seen in a January 2023 photo taking a walk on his late father’s page
He divided his time between London and the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, but was visiting Southern California to take care of “family business” when he was found dead in the San Gabriel Mountains, seen here.
Lowe is seen here next to his wife Amra
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and colleague Paul Lowe, whose brilliant life was cut short on Saturday in Los Angeles, California,” the caption read.
“Paul was a courageous and beloved comrade, and a deeply devoted father and husband.”
Lowe taught at an academy through the VII Foundation, which trains emerging visual journalists from communities underrepresented in the media.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement: “Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Mr. Christian Lowe at this tragic time.
“We will pursue justice for the victim and ensure that the perpetrator is held accountable for his actions.”