A Marrero man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of stabbing his sister’s boyfriend to death during a 2020 fight.
Francisco Romero, 27, was sentenced last week by Orleans Parish Criminal District Judge Angel Harris to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Conviction and Charges
An Orleans Parish jury found Romero guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated second-degree battery following a trial on January 15, court records show.
The 2020 Incident
Romero was accused of fatally stabbing 28-year-old Daniel Dowd, an LSU graduate and certified public accountant, multiple times at a Lower Garden District home on the 1800 block of Chippewa Street in November 2020. During the altercation, Romero also cut his sister “to the bone,” officials said.
According to police documents, the fight began after Dowd left the home in anger and returned, allegedly attempting to force Romero out. Romero told authorities that he took out a folding knife and stabbed Dowd, calling 911 after realizing his sister had also been injured.
Police discovered Dowd dead on the floor in a front room, with the knife later found on the sidewalk outside. Investigators noted signs of a violent struggle inside the house, including an overturned table and a blood trail leading from the home.
Trial and Sentencing
Prosecutors said Romero repeatedly stabbed Dowd, inflicting multiple fatal wounds. Romero had claimed self-defense during the trial. At the time of the killing, he was a student at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette and worked at a restaurant in Metairie.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said in a statement: “Every homicide leaves behind a family forced to navigate a lifetime of loss. While no verdict or sentence can bring Daniel Dowd back, this outcome ensures accountability for a violent act that forever changed the lives of those who loved him.”
