Man sentenced to life for murder of man in a derelict house | West Mercia Police

A man has been handed a life sentence today (Wednesday 6 May) for the murder of Alexis De Naray. At Stafford Crown Court, Adam Rowson, of no fixed abode, was given a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years for murdering 45-year-old Alexis in Shrewsbury in June 2025. During the hearing the court was told how Alexis had been admitted to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on Monday 23 June for treatment after he had collapsed. It was while he was at hospital Alexis met Rowson outside in the early hours of Tuesday (24 June) who offered him a place to stay. The pair were not known to each other and had never met before. The two men then made their way to an abandoned building near the Shelton water tower in Shrewsbury, where Rowson was living. Then on the Friday (27 June) at around 11.45am, Rowson called the non-emergency police number 101, to report that he’d found a man dead in the attic of the building. Rowson, who was homeless, remained at the scene as emergency services arrived and later told officers that him and Alexis had got into an altercation several days prior and left him there. Alexis was found to have sustained a number of serious injuries, including a brain injury and broken ribs, none of which can be determined to have caused his death. A murder investigation was quickly launched, which showed the pair meeting at the hospital and leaving together. Further enquiries captured Rowson on CCTV wearing a bloodstained sweatshirt when visiting a local shop on the morning of Wednesday 25 June. This item has never been recovered. Rowson was also caught on CCTV talking to acquaintances in Shrewsbury town centre later that evening, where one can be heard saying, ‘killed someone? Why have you done that?’ The following day at an appointment Rowson told his social worker, ‘I’m worried I’m going to get arrested. I’ve done something terrible’. The investigation also found that Rowson had been using Alexis’ bank cards days after his death to buy alcohol, scratchcards, food, clothes and travel tickets. He also withdrew cash from Alexis’ bank account. It is not known exactly when Alexis was murdered, but officers believe it was either late Tuesday (24 June) evening or early Wednesday (25 June) morning based on Rowson’s behaviour. Following a 12-day trial at Stafford Crown Court last month a jury found Rowson guilty of murder. Today he was handed a life sentence, where he must serve a minimum of 16 years, minus time spent on remand, before being eligible for parole. Detective Inspector Jo Delahay said: “This was a brutal and senseless attack on an innocent man who had shown nothing but trust and vulnerability in the hours before his death. Rowson’s actions were callous and violent. “Throughout the investigation and court trial, Alexis’ family have shown remarkable strength, dignity and courage as they have listened to the harrowing details of what happened to him. We hope today’s sentence brings them some measure of comfort as they continue to rebuild their lives. “We welcome the court’s decision, and we remain grateful to everyone who supported this investigation and helped ensure Rowson was held fully accountable for his actions.”