At approximately 11:00am on 7th November 1996, two gunshots were heard in the Cowdrey family home of The Street, Rotherwick, a small village near Basingstoke. Tragically, Mr Paul Cowdrey, 38, using a 12 bore shotgun shot and killed his second wife Emma who was 12 years his junior. The circumstances leading up to the murder revolved around the fact that Mrs Cowdrey, unhappy with the state of her marriage told her husband that she was going to leave. The reasons for her desire to dissolve the marriage were his drug use and extensive socialising which left him little time to spend with her and their son. According to the Basingstoke Gazette which reported on the murder and trial, the trigger that prompted Mrs Cowdrey to tell her husband that she was leaving was the fact that he had participated in a four day stag weekend in Amsterdam and while there was alleged to have visited the red light district, purchased sexual aides and smoked cannabis. The evening before the murder Mr Cowdrey is said to have taken 40 Paracutemal tablets washed down with whisky, faxed a will to his solicitor and barricaded himself in his living room. Several hours before the shooting he is alleged to have snorted cocaine. At approximately 11:00 on the morning of the crime, Mrs Cowdrey was summoned from their estate agency to the house. Her father-in-law, Michael Cowdrey, was already at the house and persuaded his son to let Mrs Cowdrey into the living room in order to speak to him privately. Shortly thereafter, two shots were heard, an ambulance was called and the world was to discover that Mr Cowdrey had shot and killed his wife. Nine months later, a jury found Mr Cowdrey guilty of murder and he was sentenced to life in prison.

While this crime has tragically affected the lives of many, to include the couple’s son, the murder itself was typical of general statistics concerning similar episodes of domestic violence in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the United States 59% of murders are committed by people we know and are generally spurred from arguments which do not arise out of a single determination to kill, but are often spontaneous acts of passion. In the United States 90% of female victims were killed by males and alcohol is involved in about 90% of all homicides. Sadly, while it is quite easy to judge those who commit the unspeakable, statistical research reveals that we have more to fear from our friends than our neighbours, and that we that we all have within ourselves the propensity murder. The provocations are mundane, the weapons are at hand, and we don’t even have to leave home to kill.

An electional chart erected for the date, time and place of the event warrants an in depth analysis because careful study will reveal some interesting results.

The most obvious observation that can be made concerning the crime is that the Midheaven, Mercury, Sun and Fortuna are posited in the 10th house in Scorpio, the sign of death. It is interesting to note that the Sun, Fortuna and the Midheaven are located in the via combust way, a fiery section of stars which have a propensity to bring misfortune to any planets or aspects within its sector. Among other things, her decision to leave was based upon his withdrawal from the family, widespread use of recreational drugs and socialising with prostitutes. This is evidenced by the fact that while the Midheaven, Fortuna, Sun and Mercury are placed in the sign of prostitution, Scorpio. Fortuna, the Sun and Mercury are placed in the second decanate of Pisces, the sign most representative of drug use.

Mr Cowdrey is represented by the Sun and the first house of this chart. The Sun posited in Scorpio indicates that the concept of death was very much a central theme at the time of the killing. The Midheaven is ruled by Pluto and Mars posited in the 11th and 8th houses respectively. Because Mars is posited in Virgo in the 8th house, Mr Cowdrey clearly saw death as a viable alternative to his problem as Mercury and Fortuna conjuncting the Sun indicate that he had an overwhelming desire for transformation. Mr Cowdrey told the police that he had originally intended to kill himself but in a moment of madness, decided to shoot his wife instead. While the jury refused to believe his defence, a close look at the electional chart reveals that there may very well have been an element of truth in his statement. It is a well established tenant that when the ruler of the 12th house (one’s own undoing) is posited in the 1st house (the self), that thoughts of suicide can prevail during times of crisis. Neptune in Capricorn forming a conjunction to Uranus in Aquarius has muddled his thinking processes to the point that he had rationalised his behaviour. Uranus in 0 degrees Aquarius has a solstice of 29 degrees Scorpio, an unstable placement indeed, thus indicating that much caution would be necessary to manoeuvre around any relationship issues. The Rising Sign is 28 degrees Sagittarius, which places its dwadashamsha in the sign of Scorpio and placed him in an unpredictable situation where he would be predisposed to behaving erratically.

Mrs Cowdrey was represented by the Moon in Libra and the 7th house of the chart. Emma Cowdrey was beautiful both in appearance and mannerisms. Aside from the fact that she had the statuesque features of a model, she was well liked in the local community as she helped to organise fund-raising events for various charities. However, the lunar placement of 0 degrees Libra is at a critical degree which unfortunately placed her in a great deal of jeopardy. Mercury, which rules the 7th house, was placed in a difficult position which indicated that it was her intention to dissolve the marriage because of his behaviour. It is interesting to note that the Moon, posited in the 8th house of death, co-rules the 7th house which again alludes to the fact that at that precise moment in time an eventual finality would be taking place.

Money, status and power were the main ingredients for the plot to this tragic play because the Sun is posited in the 10th house of one’s standing in the world. The solar placement indicates that Mr Cowdrey had an elevated concept of his self and was concerned about how he would be seen by his peers. Scorpio is placed on the cusp of the 10th house which reveals that in the event of stress, the matter would be resolved in an extreme fashion. Pluto in Sagittarius in the 11th house is reflective of his joking about killing his wife, and Mars in the 8th house was the catalysing force which helped to manifest his not-so-secret desires. Jupiter posited in Capricorn forms a square to Venus in Libra, thus causing a great deal of tension with regard to the financial arrangements which would inevitably need to be resolved if a marital break was made. Venus conjunct the North Node indicates that money would be an issue in any divorce settlement and this would not necessarily have been to her husband’s advantage.

A relatively rare aspect, the YOD, is present in this chart which helped to bring about a climax and end to the troubled marriage. Wherever a YOD exists, adjustment to change is necessary and it is quite evident that a maladaption occurred during that fateful moment when Mrs Cowdrey was killed. Mars in Virgo in the 8th house was at the apex of the YOD and formed quincunxes to Uranus in Aquarius in the 1st house and the South Node in Aries in the 3rd house. YODs are considered to have a plutonian effect on the areas that they affect and thus alludes to the fact that a rather transforming event was to occur where nothing would ever be the same again. Mars rules Aries, the sign the South Node is posited it, bringing more tension into an already turbulent state of affairs. Uranus posited in the 1st house shows that Mr Cowdrey was concerned about his lifestyle and the South Node in the 3rd house reflects that his immediate thoughts were not an accurate reflection of the circumstances he was involved in. Unfortunately, Mars acting as a catalyst forced him to act in an extreme fashion which left the lives of many forever changed.

Michael Cowdrey, father of Paul Cowdrey, was involved in the incident and his presence is clearly seen in the horoscope. Saturn, which represents mature individuals, is in the 3rd house of the chart. Michael Cowdrey, who had also been summoned during the crises, was already at the scene when Mrs Cowdrey arrived and it was he who persuaded his son to let Mrs Cowdrey into the room where he had barricaded himself. Unfortunately, his mediative attempts are clearly shown in the horoscope as Saturn is conjunct the South Node in the 3rd house. Sadly, one will never know how the forces of destiny may have been changed if Mrs Cowdrey had never entered the room where her husband waited with a 12 bore shotgun.

Friends of the Cowdreys had also been consulted about the couple’s marital difficulties. Mrs Michelle Anderson, a friend of the couple, testified that Mr Cowdrey is said to have publicly joked to his friends that he would have to poison or shoot his wife because he could not afford to divorce a second time, and these discussions are revealed through Pluto’s position in the 11th house. Additionally, Mrs Cowdrey is said to have confided concerns and was offered her a place to stay should she decide to leave. These discussions are reflected by the Dogleg aspect which is made up of he Moon opposing Saturn with Pluto trining Saturn and sextiling the Moon.

Another interesting point to consider is that not two, but four houses are intercepted in the electional chart. The 1st and 7th houses are intercepted by Capricorn and Cancer respectively. Cancer, intercepting the 7th house indicates that Mrs Cowdrey ultimately yearned for a happy domestic life where her husband spent more time at home and participated in family activities. The 2nd and 8th houses are intercepted by Pisces and Virgo respectively, which indicates that Mr Cowdrey was not realistic about his own self worth and possibly used drugs as an escape mechanism to avoid taking a close look at himself. Virgo in the 8th house indicates that Mrs Cowdrey saw their relationship as a working partnership and desired any successes to be based on a team effort.