Jesse Dimmick is seeking $235,000 in damages from Jared and Lindsay Rowley of Kansas over what he says is a breach of contract – he claims that the couple, whose home he invaded, had agreed to hide him from police (who wanted him over a murder charge in Colorado) in return for a sum of money.
In a notarized legal document, Dimmick claims that the pair did not deliver on their promises:
Later, the Rowleys reneged on said oral contract, resulting in my being shot in the back by authorities.
He described the physical and financial hardships that he faced as a result of their alleged failure to hold up their end of the bargain:
As a result of the plaintiffs breech (sic) of contract, I, the defendant suffered a gunshot to my back, which almost killed me. The hospital bills alone are in excess of $160,000, which I have no way to pay.
In defense of the Rowleys, it seems that they were caught between a rock and a hard place. Dimmick had entered the newlyweds’ home armed with a knife. As such, it is their position that the oral contract was entered into under duress and that the lawsuit should be dismissed.
According to a neighbor, the Rowleys were able to escape from Dimmick, by earning his trust by eating snacks and watching the movie Patch Adams – during which he fell asleep. The Rowleys are in turn seeking $75,000 in damages from Mr. Dimmick.
For his actions on the night in question, Dimmick was charged with and convicted of four felonies, including kidnapping. He is currently also being held on one charge of murder.
