Murder of Rowena Irani by Dane Owens featured on American Monster

American Monster is featuring the murder of Rowena Irani by her ex-boyfriend, Dane Owens, in Wichita, Kansas.

Irani, a native of Pakistan, was supposed to pick up her mother from work at 3 p.m. on October 3, 2016, but she never arrived. 

That’s when her mother got a ride from a coworker.

When she arrived at her home in the 2600 block of North Meadow Oak, she found Irani on the floor, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head.

She was rushed to Wesley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead the following day at 2:48 p.m.

Irani was 22 years old at the time of her death. She worked at Wichita Children’s Home and was a student involvement ambassador at Wichita State University, where she studied psychology.

Dane Owens confessed to unintentionally shooting his ex-girlfriend

On the day of the shooting, a neighborhood surveillance camera captured Owens’ truck entering the area at 11:38 a.m., and it was seen leaving at 1:05 p.m. 

Owens, a military veteran who allegedly suffered from PTSD, told investigators that after Irani ended their relationship on September 23, 2016, he became upset. 

After taking several Hydrocodone pills, he went for a drive, ended up in Irani’s neighborhood, and started texting her.

When she stopped replying to his messages, he went inside her home without permission through an unlocked door.

At the time, Owens was recovering from a shoulder injury and had a sling on his right arm. He also had a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber handgun in his right hand.

After entering the home, Owens said he began walking through the living room area when he suddenly saw Irani turn the kitchen corner. He then opened fire. 

“She just came around and startled me, and I just pulled the trigger,” Owens told investigators. “She just freaked me out, and it was almost like a natural reaction.”

He retrieved Irani’s cell phone and fled through the back door as she lay bleeding on the floor. 

Detectives later found her cell phone in a pond, but the murder weapon, which Owens said he threw in a separate pond, has never been found.   

Dane Owens was sentenced for the murder of Rowena Irani

Although Owens’ defense attorney was hoping for lesser charges, he was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated burglary.

Following a five-day trial and a three-hour deliberation, a jury found Owens guilty in November 2018.

On December 20, 2018, a judge sentenced Owens to life in prison and 43 months for aggravated burglary. He won’t be eligible for parole until he has served 25 years.

American Monster airs Sundays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.