New Caney Man Sentenced to Prison for Murder

On December 13, 2021, a Liberty County jury sentenced Randal Scott Dowden, 54, to a twenty-year prison sentence after finding him guilty of the murder of Robert Strong on September 16, 2020. The Honorable Judge Mark Morefield, 75th Judicial District Court, presided over the trial.
Prosecutors Kevin Barnes and Kayla Herrington presented the testimony of seven witnesses, who recounted the events leading up to the murder, the investigation, and their knowledge of Dowden and the victim. Due to the upcoming trial on Dowden’s co-defendant, scheduled for trial in 2022, many details have been intentionally omitted so as not to influence any potential jurors in that trial.
Assistant District Attorney, Kevin Barnes: “I really appreciate the time and effort the jurors put into this case. It is always difficult to see and hear some of the evidence in a case like this, but without these jurors performing their duty, our system of justice could not operate.”
District Attorney, Jennifer L. Bergman: “Randal Dowden is rightfully headed to prison. We are grateful for everyone who did what they could to reach a just outcome in this case, including the law enforcement officers and the jurors who rendered this verdict.”