Man sentenced to life in prison for SLO murder, mutilating remains

June 13, 2024

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A judge sentenced a 44-year-old man to 96 years to life in prison for the murder of a 64-year-old man and mutilation of his remains in the Bianchi Open Space area behind Megan's Organic Market in San Luis Obispo.

On the evening of November 20, 2021, Marco Antonio Cota Jr. and Rick Fowler, both homeless, were arguing in the open space, where several encampments were located at the time. Cota followed Fowler to Fowler's campsite, where Cota attacked him and beat him to death. Cota then pierced Fowler's body with several wooden sticks, even penetrating the victim's rectum.

When asked by law enforcement why he did what he did, Cota responded that he “wanted to show you what evil looks like,” according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.

On February 13, 2024, a jury found Cota guilty of the murder and mutilation of Fowler. Superior Court Judge Timothy Covello then determined that Cota had three prior convictions for “strike” offenses under California's three-strikes law: including a 1998 conviction for theft in County of Tulare and convictions for criminal threatening in 2014 and assault with a deadly weapon in 2016, both in San Luis Obispo County.

Covello sentenced Cota to 75 years to life in prison, plus 21 years. The judge also ordered Cota to register as a sex offender.

Following the sentencing, SLO County Prosecutor Dan Dow issued a statement welcoming the punishment.

“Finally, justice has been served for Mr. Rick Fowler, the victim in this case, who was senselessly and brutally murdered and his body mutilated,” Dow said. “We are grateful to the jury for faithfully fulfilling their civic duty by paying careful attention to the presentation of the evidence. Mr. Cota received a fair trial and will now serve his just and appropriate life sentence. This sentence sends a strong message that violent crimes are aggressively prosecuted in San Luis Obispo County.