Paul Lowe, who covered conflicts including the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war, was found dead in the San Gabriel Mountains in California
A British photojournalist has been tragically killed on a popular hiking trail in California and his teenage son has been charged with murder, police have said.
Paul Lowe, known for his work documenting conflicts such as the siege of Sarajevo, was discovered deceased on October 12 in the San Gabriel Mountains. The 60-year-old had suffered a fatal stab wound to the neck, according to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s records.
His 19-year-old son, Emir, has been charged with one count of murder and is due to appear before the West Covina Courthouse on Wednesday, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said: “The homicide bureau presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing considerations today.”
“The District Attorney’s office filed one count of murder on suspect Emir Lowe for the murder of his father Christian Paul Lowe. There is no additional information at this time.”
Police reports indicate that the incident occurred around 3.28pm at Mount Baldy Road, close to Stoddard Canyon Falls. A sheriff’s department statement detailed that officers who were called to an assault with a deadly weapon found a “white male adult suffering trauma to his upper torso”.
The report concluded with: “San Bernardino Fire Department personnel responded and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. A white male adult was seen driving away from the scene and was subsequently involved in a solo traffic collision a few miles away. The male was detained pending further investigation. The investigation is ongoing and there is no additional information at this time.”
King’s College London, where Mr Lowe was a visiting professor in war studies, expressed their sorrow over the loss of the award-winning photojournalist, stating that he would be “deeply missed”. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, they said: “It is with deep sadness that we received the news of Professor Paul Lowe’s passing.”
“Paul was a Visiting Professor in the Department of War Studies, a Professor of Photojournalism at the University of the Arts London, and an award-winning photojournalist with VII Academy. A friend, colleague and collaborator whose work had a huge impact in shining a spotlight on the Siege of Sarajevo and addressing its legacy, we were privileged to work with him on several projects related to art and reconciliation.”
“His boundless energy, warmth, creativity, initiative and enthusiasm were contagious and uniquely inspiring. He will be deeply missed. We send our deepest condolences to his family at this difficult time.”
