NORTH PORT, FL – A 24-year-old Ukrainian man has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years in prison for the brutal stabbing deaths of his adoptive parents in their Florida home.
Dima Tower was found guilty of first-degree murder on November 14 by a Florida jury for killing Robbie and Jennifer Tower on August 31, 2023. The couple had adopted Tower from a Ukrainian orphanage when he was 14 years old.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Tower stabbed his adoptive parents more than 140 times inside their North Port home. He first attacked his father in the bedroom with a steak knife, then pursued his mother when she fled to a neighbor’s house, stabbing her 38 times in the neck before forcing her back inside their home.
Judge Thomas Krug imposed the maximum sentence, telling Tower during the hearing: “You seem to be an evil spirit.” The five-year addition to the sentence stems from Tower’s attempt to flee police in a high-speed chase that ended when authorities deployed stop sticks and apprehended him in nearby woods.
Tower’s defense attorneys argued for a manslaughter conviction, claiming he suffered from temporary insanity stemming from childhood trauma. Tower lost his mother before age 10 and spent time in various Ukrainian relatives’ homes and an orphanage before being adopted by the Towers.
Upon arrival in Florida, Tower spoke no English and struggled to adapt to his new life. He dropped out of high school in 10th grade and later claimed his adoptive father had initially opposed the adoption, contributing to tensions in the household.
Prosecutors countered the temporary insanity defense by pointing to evidence that Tower attempted to clean the crime scene after the murders and fled with personal belongings, suggesting premeditation and awareness of his actions. The jury ultimately sided with the prosecution’s argument.
The case highlighted the challenges some international adoptions face, particularly when adoptees have experienced significant trauma in their early years. Tower had lived in the United States for approximately a decade before the murders.
The brutal nature of the crime shocked the North Port community, where the Towers were known as a family who had opened their home to provide a better life for a child from war-torn Ukraine. Neighbors described them as caring people who had hoped to give Tower opportunities he would never have had in his home country.
Tower will serve his sentence without the possibility of parole. The consecutive nature of the life sentences ensures he will never be released from prison.
