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Parents again face Daniel Rowe's accused killer

Erron Coleman, 25, pleads not guilty to murder of Blind Rabbit worker

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The man charged in the shooting death of 20-year-old Daniel Rowe in July 2015 pleaded not guilty Thursday in Duval County.

Erron Coleman, 25, is charged with the second-degree murder of Rowe, along with armed robbery, burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Rowe was shot and killed while taking out the garbage on July 22, 2015, in an alley behind the Blind Rabbit, near the intersection of King and College streets, during what police described as a robbery attempt.

Coleman, who was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office about a year after the shooting, has 12 previous felony convictions and was a suspect in a 2015 strong-arm robbery when a tip from an inmate led police to investigate his connection to Rowe's death.

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Rowe's parents, who were vocal in their pleas for answers in the case over the last year, cried last month when they saw Coleman for the first time in a courtroom. They were in the courtroom again Thursday for his arraignment and said they are glad to be on the road to justice.

“It’s very painful, and it just brings up every emotion from anger to frustration of all the waiting we’ve had to do to just unknowing of why, still at this point,” Rowe's mother, Raelyn Rowe, said. “We have to put our faith in JSO and the State Attorney’s Office that they’ve done their jobs.”

As much as it hurts, the Rowes said that no matter what happens, they will be there every step of the way.

“It’s tough, getting to actually see him face to face, but it needs to be done,” Rowe's father, Steven Rowe, said. “We’ve got to stay strong for the grandbabies and make sure they know what happened to their dad is not going to go unpunished.”

In the meantime, Steven and Raelyn Rowe said that they visit a memorial garden at Blind Rabbit, which was built by his co-workers shortly after his death.

“We go over there and visit quite often,” Raelyn Rowe said. “It just makes you feel a little closer to him, you know. It was a place he loved. He loved working there.”

The family is creating other ways to remember the 20-year-old -- and to keep his legacy alive -- while they wait for closure in the legal system.

“I think we will find justice in the end, but it’s just a process to get there, and that’s probably the toughest part, just waiting for the process, knowing he’s going to plead not guilty, you know,” Raelyn Rowe said. “Once we get to trial, there’s going to be things said that we may not like to hear.”

Coleman has been appointed a new lawyer because the public defender he was assigned was already representing him in a robbery case and had to withdraw from the murder case. Coleman is now being represented by the Regional Conflict Counsel. He will next be in court Aug. 25.

Coleman has 12 previous felony convictions. On Oct. 20, 2010, Coleman was convicted of multiple burglaries and car thefts and sentenced to five years in prison. He served 3½ years on 11 charges and was released on Nov. 21, 2014.

Police said he robbed a woman at gunpoint for her purse in March 2015, hitting her in the face with a gun a block away from her house.

Coleman was arrested Nov. 30, 2015, and charged with three counts of burglary after he was accused of burglarizing apartments in the Arlington area.

He was booked into jail on a $225,000 bond. On April 28, 2015, Coleman was charged with the March 2015 robbery and his bond was increased to $1 million.

The provider of the primary tip that led to Coleman's arrest will receive a $13,000 reward from Crime Stoppers, and a $3,000 reward is still available for tips leading to a second arrest. Callers can remain anonymous and still be eligible for the reward by calling 866-845-TIPS.