The son of a famous war photographer who was found stabbed to death during a hiking test in California has been photographed for the first time after being charged with murder.
Emir Abadzic Lowe, 19, appeared in West Covina court shackled and wearing a suicide vest to be arraigned for the murder of his father Paul Lowe, 60.
Lowe, who covered the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, died from neck injuries.
He had been hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday when he was found and was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Emir has been held in the Los Angeles County Jail on $2 million bail after crashing his car while trying to flee the scene.
Emir Abadzic Lowe, 19, appeared in West Covina court shackled and wearing a suicide vest.
Lowe, who covered the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, died from neck injuries.
His body was discovered with “upper body trauma” and a stab wound to the neck, which the Los Angeles County medical examiner concluded was the cause of his death, according to the independent.
The younger Lowe faces a charge of murder and a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison plus one year in state prison. His motive remains unknown.
Lowe was a professor at the University of the Arts, London, as well as a visiting professor of war studies at King’s College London (KCL).
He divided his time between London and Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, but was in Southern California to attend to “family matters.”
Amra Abadzic Lowe, his widow, said The New York Times that her son had been struggling with mental health issues and had been hospitalized for psychosis.
Lowe had traveled to the United States to persuade his son to return to the UK after Emir stayed on a short trip, but he stayed for several months, according to Amra.
On his social media pages, Lowe had frequently shared images of him and his son walking through areas of Bosnia, while his wife shared drawings Emir had made as a child.
Lowe had made plans to meet up with his colleague Lara Jo Regan while in California, who became nervous after going days without hearing from him.
The younger Lowe faces a charge of murder and a maximum sentence of 25 to life in prison plus one year in state prison.
Emir has been held in the Los Angeles County Jail on $2 million bail after crashing his car while trying to flee the scene.
On his social media pages, Lowe had frequently shared images of him and his son walking through areas of Bosnia, while his wife shared drawings Emir had made as a child, seen here.
she said KTLA: ‘I went on Facebook and was going to text him to see what was going on.
“So the first thing that came up was the news of his passing posted on his agency’s website in New York. I was more than surprised. I’m still a little shocked.
CNN producer and presenter Ika Ferrer Gotić posted on X that they met in 2019 and spent time discussing war crimes in Sarajevo and Bijeljina.
She said: ‘We lost more than a photographer when Paul Lowe passed away. We lost a witness to our history, a storyteller who showed the world truths that many wished to ignore.’
‘His lens captured more than the horrors of war; “captured the resilience, survival and humanity of Sarajevo at its darkest moment.”
During his lifetime, Lowe had documented several global events, including the end of the Cold War.
However, his most powerful image is said to have been taken during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992.
The photograph, which was the most famous, was in black and white of a boy with a ball while in Sarajevo, and was taken during a late afternoon winter walk.
Lowe taught at an academy through the VII Foundation, which trains emerging visual journalists from communities underrepresented in the media.
He divided his time between London and Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, but was visiting Southern California to deal with “family matters” when he was found dead in the San Gabriel Mountains, as seen here.
Lowe appears here with his wife Amra.
“I came across the scene and captured the ball thrown into the air like it was any street in the world,” he told The Guardian in a 2022 interview.
“It’s a very common thing for a child, but it happens against the backdrop of the tank trap, an indication of the ever-present danger.”
‘The siege of Sarajevo was very hard for the children, who obviously did not want to be locked up. “They would risk their lives for a little pleasure,” he added.
The VII Foundation, founded in 2001 by independent photojournalists, shared a photo on Instagram taken by Lowe’s wife, Amra.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and colleague Paul Lowe, whose brilliant life was cut short in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday,” the caption read.
“Paul was a brave and beloved comrade, and a deeply devoted father and husband.”
Lowe taught at an academy through the VII Foundation, which trains emerging visual journalists from communities underrepresented in the media.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement: ‘Our thoughts are with Mr. Christian Lowe’s loved ones during this tragic time.
“We will seek justice for the victim and ensure that the offender is held accountable for his actions.”