William Rex Fowler

William Rex Fowler, a high-ranking scientologist, murdered Thomas Ciancio – a non scientologist partner in a Denver, CO business following scientology's founder management techniques - before shooting a bullet in his own head on December 30, 2009.

The affidavit and warrant for arrest of Rex Fowler contains interesting facts, but many aspects remain unclear at this stage - such as the motive - and might remain so in the future.

Short biographies

 * For other employees, see FSD People. For family members, see

William Rex Fowler


William Rex Fowler is / was:


 * A high-ranking scientologist, Operating thetan VII, which is one grade below the highest a Scientologist can reach. A more detailed view of his "bridge to total freedom". His own version is also available online.


 * Broke. He and his wife had to sell their house for $842,500 on Apr 28, 2009. There might be many reasons for that, but one is certainly the costs of their Scientology courses that can be estimated on the excess of one million dollars. There are allegations that they also used an "investment fund" paid for by the people working at their company.


 * A reverend, who married people at least once in the past and intended to do it again in the near future. He also states he is a Scientology minister in a 2008 letter to the Editor.


 * The co-founder of a company - Fowler Software Design - that is a member of the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) for over a decade. Many of the involved in it are Scientologists.


 * A member of a Scientologist family.


 * Active in the local organization ("Org").


 * Made an interesting presentation to the Denver Area Citizens for Liberty.


 * A soldier in the 70s.

Thomas "Tom" Ciancio



 * Tom Ciancio is a Presbyterian who joined Fowler Software as Chief operating officer in August 2006 after career at MCI and in the Navy (tech).


 * Ciancio's status is not clear, as he is sometimes referred to as a minor partner. This might be due to the alleged "investment fund".

Open questions
About the company:
 * Why did Tom Ciancio choose to work for a scientologist company?
 * What exactly is unusual - in its management own words - in this company?

About the shooting:
 * Why did Tom Ciancio try to see Ubaldo Ciminieri when arriving in the office?
 * To say goodbye, Happy Birthday and Happy New Year?
 * Why did Rex Fowler shoot Tom Ciancio?
 * Why did Rex Fowler shoot himself?

About the investigation:
 * Was Laura Zaspel questioned about her email to Rex Fowler regarding Tom Ciancio?
 * Has a warrant been requested to search the Fowlers' home?
 * Why did the police wait almost 24 hours before testing Rex Fowler's hands for powder residues?
 * His hands were bagged to preserve the gunshot residue, and he was under treatment for a gunshot wound to the head.
 * Why did the police wait five days to make a ATF search for the weapon ?
 * It was the New Years weekend, and the suspect was already in custody?
 * What did happen between January 6 (last investigation) and 23 (request for a warrant to arrest)?

About the affidavit:
 * Why does it not mention that somebody called 911 mentioning a "disgruntled ex-employee", as reported by the media?
 * Why does it not mention Suzy Gaut among the people Steven Blatt warned inside the office?
 * Why does it not mention that Rex Fowler was handcuffed before entering the ambulance, as reported by the media?
 * Unnecessary detail/standard procedure to treat all survivors of a shootout or hostage crisis as a possible suspect.

Media about the shooting

 * December 30, 2009
 * Man shot, suspect found dead - The Denver Post
 * AdCo Shocker: Dead 'Suspect' Now Called Murder 'Victim' - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver
 * December 31
 * Software Exec Wounded In Adams Co. Office Shooting - cbs4denver.com
 * Adams Co. shooting victim not a suspect, authorities say – KDVR.com
 * Software exec wounded in Adams Co. office shooting - KJCT8.com
 * Shooting at Adams office building kills 1, wounds 1 - The Denver Post
 * Original suspect called homicide victim in Adams shooting - The Denver Post
 * 1 dead, 1 in critical condition in shooting - 9NEWS.com
 * Autopsy: Man was shooting victim, not gunman - KRDO.com
 * January 1, 2010
 * Coroner: Man first reported to be gunman in Adams County shooting was victim - The Denver Post
 * Man called suspect in shooting now a homicide victim - 9NEWS.com
 * Adams county workplace shooting takes strange twist - KDVR Denver
 * January 2
 * Shooting victim's family wants to clear his name | 9NEWS.com
 * Shooting victim's kin, friends to celebrate his life - The Denver Post
 * January 3
 * Colorado Office Shooting Takes Mysterious Twist After Body Identified as Victim, Not Gunman - FOXNews.com
 * January 4
 * Murder Victim Remembered - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver
 * January 5
 * Adams officials to search vehicles in office shootings - The Denver Post
 * January 6
 * Probe of fatal Adams County office shooting continues - The Denver Post
 * January 7
 * Questions remain after fatal shooting
 * January 15
 * Charges possible next week in fatal shooting at software company - 9NEWS.com
 * January 16
 * Charges possible in fatal shooting at Software firm - The Denver Post
 * January 20
 * No charges yet in fatal shooting at Software firm - The Denver Post
 * January 22
 * Adams Co. software exec charged with murder - KDVR Denver
 * Man charged in shooting death of former business partner - 9NEWS.com
 * Charge Filed In Former Business Partner's Slaying - The Denver Channel
 * Adams Co. business owner thought to be victim now charged with murder - The Denver Post
 * January 23
 * Adams County software-firm owner charged in killing of ex-business partner - The Denver Post
 * January 26
 * Adams County business owner advised of murder charge in office shooting - The Denver Post
 * Adams Ex-employee remembers hearing 1 final shot in workplace shooting - 9NEWS.com
 * January 27
 * Suspect's Scientology Faith Ripples Through AdCo Murder Probe - The Denver Channel
 * January 28
 * Rex Fowler Scientology Connections Mentioned Frequently In Murder Arrest Affidavit - Huffingtonpost.com
 * February 1
 * Fowler makes court appearance in Adams murder case - The Denver Post
 * DNA Test Ordered For Software Exec Accused Of Killing Ex-Partner - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver
 * February 2
 * Judge orders DNA test for Adams County shooting suspect - The Denver Post
 * Special Report: Denver murder may be linked to Scientology - Catholic Online
 * Scientologist makes court appearance in murder case - ReligionNewsBlog.com
 * February 17
 * Judge: Medical records must be released in Adams office-slaying trial - The Denver Post
 * April 9
 * Judge To Decide Whether Fowler Will Stand Trial
 * April 10
 * Adams County judge orders William Fowler to be tried for first-degree murder in ex-business partner's death
 * May 20
 * Software firm founder Pleads Not Guilty In Slaying Of Ex-Partner
 * Man accused of killing co-worker pleads not guilty
 * Man pleads not guilty to shooting former employee
 * May 21
 * Colorado software executive pleads not guilty in former business partner's slaying (AP)

= Timeline =

After Day of Shooting
= Affidavit and application for arrest warrant = The text of the affidavit has been moved to WRF Affidavit. A scan in PDF is available here

= Aspects not treated in the affidavit =

About the shooting

 * Information about the injury suffered by Rex Fowler, passed by someone who says they have a connection to the family:


 * 911 call not released but police have said that the as yet unidentified caller said that the shooter was a "disgruntled" former employee; police did not enter the business for 2 hours and conducted a search of the surrounding area for the "shooter".


 * Initial investigation was misdirected due to this call; Ciancio's status changed when the Coroner confirms Ciancio is the victim.

Rex Fowler's "bridge to total freedom"
The "bridge to total freedom" is the succesion of course a member should follow.

The list below is incomplete, as it is retrieved by a third party from official scientology's paper documents. The description of the courses comes from here. The update stopped around 2004. Rex Fowler was put back onto OT VII in 1998 after the 1996 release of the new drills and the Golden Age of OT. He might well have completed it, and OTVIII. Many scientologists had to do OT levels again

Rex Fowler - Scientology Service Completions


 * FALSE PURPOSE RUNDOWN, 1986-03-01: an auditing program. Was often done before an OT level to see if you were eligible.
 * NEW OT VI SOLO NOTS AUDITING COURSE, 1987-03-01: OT VI teaches you how to audit yourself on OT VII
 * NEW OT VII SOLO NOTS COMPLETION, 1989-02-01: Completed OT VII
 * EXEC STATUS I, 1989-02-01: Administrative course to teach you how to be an executive
 * SOLO NOTS AUDITOR CERTAINTY COURSE, PART I, 1998-03-01: Everyone who had completed OT VII or OT VIII were required to get back onto OT VII because David Miscavige - the leader of scientology - said that the OT's weren't using all their tools and no one really completed OT VII
 * SOLO NOTS AUDITOR CERTAINTY COURSE, PART I, 1998-08-01
 * ACADEMY LEVELS LEVEL 0-IV, 2004-07-01: Auditor training levels O through IV. Probably meant completing the Level 0-IV Certainty course, because no one completed 5 courses at a time. However, after Golden Age of Tech was released in 1996, Miscavige's new drills were put in place and all auditors had to "re do" their courses by doing all the drills. Those were called "certainty courses" as if doing those drills would give you absolute certainty that you knew your tech. Of course you had to become uncertain first in order to acquiesce to do the certainty course.

William Fowler - Scientology Service Completions


 * SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL COURSE, 2007-12-01

Janet "Jan" Fowler
''See entry in FSD People

Alexander Hyung Fowler



 * A Scientologist who is, or was a member of the Sea Org.
 * Was registered at the address of Scientology ASHO in Los Angeles. Now claims to live in Santa Fe, New Mexico.


 * Patron of the IAS (International Association of Scientologists) (1995)


 * Sponsor of the IAS (ca. July 2003)

Angela Fowler
= See also =
 * WRF Affidavit
 * Fowler Software Design
 * FSD People
 * PIGGIPOD
 * WISE Standard practices

Older cases of Scientologists "going postal":


 * Majorski, 2008 - Man shot at Scientology site had made threats - Los Angeles Times


 * Godeka, 1996 - Stories about the Scientology shooting in Portland | The Oregonian Extra - OregonLive.com

Of interest

= References =