Guilty verdict for ex-beau who fatally shot WSU student who worked at children’s home

A Sedgwick County jury deliberated for about four hours Tuesday before convicting the ex-boyfriend of a Wichita State University student fatally shot in her home two years ago of her first-degree felony murder.

Rowena Irani, a 22-year-old psychology major and student involvement ambassador at WSU, died on Oct. 4, 2016 — a day after her mother found her lying with a gunshot wound to the head at her home near 29th and Woodlawn. Irani was a native of Pakistan who moved to Wichita at age 10 and later became a U.S. citizen. In addition to being a junior in college, she worked with children in need at the Wichita Children’s home before she was killed.

Police quickly arrested Dane Owens, her former boyfriend and a military veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in connection with the shooting.

Prosecutors at trial argued Owens, now 29, was angry over his and Irani’s recent breakup and shot her on purpose after swallowing a bunch of Hydrocone pills and driving around for a while with his .45-caliber Smith and Wesson on Oct. 3, 2016. He parked his truck several houses away from her home, walked through her unlocked front door unannounced loaded gun in hand and fired at her when she walked around a corner.

Owens later told police Irani was hurt in an accident. His defense attorney, Kurt Kerns, argued during the trial that her shooting wasn’t intentional — Owens told police he had the gun in his right hand which was in a sling and that Irani had “spooked” him — and suggested jurors consider a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter if they couldn’t acquit.

Owens was a sophomore studying social work at Kansas State University and a student worker at the veterans center on KSU’s Manhattan campus when the shooting happened.

After firing the gun, Owens left Irani’s home without touching or helping her. He took her cellphone with him and threw it in a pond.

He tossed his gun into a second pond then went to his home in Andover, where police found him.

Irani was supposed to pick up her mother from work at around 3 p.m. on Oct. 3, 2016, but never showed up, police have said. Her mother found her after catching a ride with a co-worker.

Irani laid alone and wounded for at least three hours before her discovery, according to a police affidavit released in the case. She died at Wesley Medical Center the next afternoon.

After hearing evidence, testimony and arguments for five days, jurors found Owens guilty of first-degree felony murder and aggravated burglary, said Dan Dillon, a spokesman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. The office prosecuted the case before Sedgwick County District Court Judge Kevin O’Connor.

Owens is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 20. He faces life in prison for the murder conviction.

The trial started last week.