GUILTY FL - Dima Tower, 22, charged for murdering his 2 adoptive parents, North Port, 9 Sept 2023

[whitelilac]

Did his adoptive parents allow him to live with them up to the time he killed them? Had he ever gone to work? He left school many years ago! 10th grade, that wasn't very long after he was adopted! What did he do all that time from then to now? Was he just home all day, every day?

Did Mr. and Mrs. Tower work outside the home?

I recall reading in an article that they were both real estate agents.

eta: Dima Tower, 21, now faces murder charges over from the grisly slayings of North Port, Florida, real estate agents Robbie and Jennifer Tower, who had rescued him seven years ago. Ukrainian adoptee, 21, charged with murder for slaughtering ‘caring’ American parents who rescued him from prison-like orphanage: cops

 

[turaj]

But what happens to the children or teenagers who are returned to their birth country, let's say Russia or the Ukraine? How could it be a better fate than staying in the U.S. and trying to help them with the resources in the U.S.? What becomes of the younger children?

As far as this young man, if he had gone back to his birth country at some point after he turned 18, what would have happened to him? Probably prison, a homeless street life, or active duty military are my guesses.

no clue what happens to them but I personally know parents that had to make the choice after a year or so with the adoptee that it was destroying their life. I do not know how many as adults that go back...probably not many but that must have been how much he hated his life here

 

[turaj]

Or fit in with some sort of criminal gang. Maybe he already was with one....back in Ukraine. It is a country known for crime. His family here said he liked to pick and bully children younger and perceived weaker than himself.

i think all involved. were living a nightmare.

 

[turaj]

I recall reading in an article that they were both real estate agents.

eta: Dima Tower, 21, now faces murder charges over from the grisly slayings of North Port, Florida, real estate agents Robbie and Jennifer Tower, who had rescued him seven years ago. Ukrainian adoptee, 21, charged with murder for slaughtering ‘caring’ American parents who rescued him from prison-like orphanage: cops

that is a poor choice of words "rescued him" rather than welcomed him into their home in Florida.

 

[turaj]

that is a poor choice of words "rescued him" rather than welcomed him into their home in Florida.

trying to imagine what my daughter would think if I said I rescued her from xxxx. Sure there is some truth to it but term is usually used for dogs or animals.

 

[Charlot123]

I'd imagine in this case that they may also have wanted to try and handle the situation themselves, because to admit how bad things really were and allow charges against him would feel like "giving up" on a child who had already been through a lot of trauma

Still. At school, he should have gotten an IEP. Probably, be included into ESL program. Some evaluations are done for it.
His pediatrician should have done all regular assessments, kept growth charts; they often prescribe medication for sleep and anxiety if finding a child psychiatrist is difficult (although by sixteen kids may be seen by most adult ones). I can’t imagine the parent sleeping with a lock on the door (meaning, the kid is awake, among other things) and not at least calling a pediatrician for advices about sleep. The boy could not be just staying at home all the time. He had some, at least provisional, diagnoses. We just don’t know about them.

Even if he started acting out only at sixteen (puberty), it was 2017, way before COVID. Running away from home, on multiple occasions, means, LE was called. The LE would refer him to a family court or similar system. They all worked at that time.

 

[arielilane]

"His Defense made a strategic decision not to have him evaluated." Wow I find that extraordinary and another reason that I think he has a case for ineffective counsel.

Agree the defendant had ineffective counsel. They did a huge disservice. Considering the LWOP sentence it's going to be litigated on appeal. jmo

In addition, I believe it will go to the FL Supreme Court for review being first degree? Again, just an opinion/observation.

 

[arielilane]

Dima Tower wasn’t born with that name--he had been born in Ukraine, but his mother died when he was young. He swore in court that he actually didn’t know how young he was when she passed--somewhere around the age of 6.

That’s when Dima moved in first with his brother, then with an uncle. None of that lasted, though--after a few months, he hit the foster care system.

That’s where Dima was in 2015, when war broke out. The orphanage he lived in at the time was in his hometown, Luhansk, near the Ukrainian border. As chaos erupted across the country, the Ukrainian government moved all the orphans somewhere safer.

“An evil spirit:” Judge hands down maximum penalty to convicted killer

“You seem to be an evil spirit,” Judge Krug told Tower, sentencing him to consecutive life terms.

www.mysuncoast.com

-- Robbie and Jennifer Tower were from North Port, FL known as Christian missionaries who prioritized helping others over personal leisure.

-- The couple, were unable to have biological children and channeled their compassion into international adoption efforts.

-- In 2013, theTowers' missionary work led them to Ukraine.

-- The Towers' encountered Dima James Tower (originally from Luhansk, an orphanage resident orphaned after his mother's death and amid regional conflict).

-- The Towers started fostering DT that summer, relocated him to FL by winter 2015, and formally adopted him in 2016 [age 14]. This granted him U.S. citizenship shortly after.

Not much about the Towers is known.

 

[arielilane]

Court information reveals Dima had been accused of assault on a previous occasion.

He was arrested in 2020 on charges including domestic violence after he allegedly threw the victim across the kitchen as he was putting groceries in the fridge, according to an earlier affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. The alleged attack left the victim with a bleeding forehead and lacerations to the back.

The charges were later declined by a judge, court records show.

Adoptive Son on Trial After Mom and Dad Massacred, Bodies Found 'Head-to-Head' in Bloodied Home

Dima Tower has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with his adoptive parents' brutal slaying

people.com

Nov. 12

 

[turaj]

Still. At school, he should have gotten an IEP. Probably, be included into ESL program. Some evaluations are done for it.
His pediatrician should have done all regular assessments, kept growth charts; they often prescribe medication for sleep and anxiety if finding a child psychiatrist is difficult (although by sixteen kids may be seen by most adult ones). I can’t imagine the parent sleeping with a lock on the door (meaning, the kid is awake, among other things) and not at least calling a pediatrician for advices about sleep. The boy could not be just staying at home all the time. He had some, at least provisional, diagnoses. We just don’t know about them.

Even if he started acting out only at sixteen (puberty), it was 2017, way before COVID. Running away from home, on multiple occasions, means, LE was called. The LE would refer him to a family court or similar system. They all worked at that time.

LE can't do much if parents tell them to back off. And reportedly at least once that is what they did. The sleeping with locked doors makes me wonder about the parents. I am not blaming the victims here but boy need the complete story.

 

[espirtu pampa]

I am also curious as to why his issues were not recognized when he came to visit. Was he able to act somewhat "normal" for his adoptive parents? Does he have self control when he thinks it will benefit him? Then plays the victim when he does not get his way? Is there an act going on?

I guess he didn't understand a word let alone speak.

 

[tara83]

Victim blaming is so common anymore.

 

[turaj]

Dima Tower wasn’t born with that name--he had been born in Ukraine, but his mother died when he was young. He swore in court that he actually didn’t know how young he was when she passed--somewhere around the age of 6.

That’s when Dima moved in first with his brother, then with an uncle. None of that lasted, though--after a few months, he hit the foster care system.

That’s where Dima was in 2015, when war broke out. The orphanage he lived in at the time was in his hometown, Luhansk, near the Ukrainian border. As chaos erupted across the country, the Ukrainian government moved all the orphans somewhere safer.

“An evil spirit:” Judge hands down maximum penalty to convicted killer

“You seem to be an evil spirit,” Judge Krug told Tower, sentencing him to consecutive life terms.

www.mysuncoast.com

-- Robbie and Jennifer Tower were from North Port, FL known as Christian missionaries who prioritized helping others over personal leisure.

-- The couple, were unable to have biological children and channeled their compassion into international adoption efforts.

-- In 2013, theTowers' missionary work led them to Ukraine.

-- The Towers' encountered Dima James Tower (originally from Luhansk, an orphanage resident orphaned after his mother's death and amid regional conflict).

-- The Towers started fostering DT that summer, relocated him to FL by winter 2015, and formally adopted him in 2016 [age 14]. This granted him U.S. citizenship shortly after.

Not much about the Towers is known.

you mention moved in with his "brother". Did the Tower's have. more children. If so were they adopted.

 

[Dotta]

you mention moved in with his "brother". Did the Tower's have. more children. If so were they adopted.

Brother & uncle in Ukraine.

Quote:

"Dima Tower wasn’t born with that name
--he had been born in Ukraine,
but his mother died when he was young.
He swore in court that he actually didn’t know how young he was when she passed
--somewhere around the age of 6.

That’s when Dima moved in
first with his brother,
then with an uncle.

None of that lasted, though
--after a few months,
he hit the foster care system."

“An evil spirit:” Judge hands down maximum penalty to convicted killer

“You seem to be an evil spirit,” Judge Krug told Tower, sentencing him to consecutive life terms.

www.mysuncoast.com

 

[Charlot123]

I am also curious as to why his issues were not recognized when he came to visit. Was he able to act somewhat "normal" for his adoptive parents? Does he have self control when he thinks it will benefit him? Then plays the victim when he does not get his way? Is there an act going on?

What caught my attention was when he spoke about the role of women and men. He seem to think that men should dominate women and women should be subservient. WHERE did he learn that? In orphanage? Are those values common in Ukraine? I wonder what music he listen to, what social media did he have?

I think that Dima struggles with making inferences. It is just my guess, but IMO, he had hard time expanding on his own statements. “American schools are bad”. Period. I think that at that moment he was asked to explain what he meant, but got stuck and kept on repeating the same phrase. I started guessing: “American schools are bad, because they… (don’t have core curriculum, don’t teach evolution, don’t teach kids how to manage own budget and file taxes, don’t tell students enough about the world and different cultures, don’t teach critical thinking, are overly STEM-oriented…use whatever you don’t like about our schools!). But that “because” never came. I strongly believe that there is a true speech problem in Dima, a barrier, if you wish. Because he can’t fully express himself, he gets angry.

I don’t think that it is an ESL problem. By the age of 5-6, inferential speech should be developed.

Dima can compensate by better use of non-verbal cognitive abilities. But I suspect that he loses track of the spoken material rapidly, and then, he gets confused and angry.

I suspect that his parents felt sorry for him. After all, he was in bruises and hungry in the orphanage. They were compassionate. They saved him. I think that initially he was happy to have a family. But with the puberty, TBH, most teenagers become difficult. And, Dima had problems processing speech, he recently started learning English, he was blunt, he was “diminutive” (not my word, the newspaper used it) and if I were to guess, he was frustrated. Small wonder he could not manage his own emotions. But look at it through his parents’ eyes. (He has been in the country for two years, he is well-fed, taken care of, he has a loving family, time to start adjusting.)

I think that a long-term psychiatric hospitalization was badly needed, but perhaps his parents were too kind. They, after all, had rescued him from a military-type orphanage. Did the parents feel too sorry for Dima to admit him into “another facility”? It could have been the case.

About his views of men and women. What he says is absolutely uncharacteristic of young people in modern post-Soviet Slavic countries. Some cultural traditions are different from here, for example, a man typically pays for a woman in a restaurant (they don’t split). Men help women with heavy luggage. But where he heard that stuff, God knows. He can’t process what he hears, so could be anywhere.

Just my personal take on the situation.

Poor speech development may be 50/50 biology/orphanage. It would be important to find out at what age he ended up in the orphanage. If early, sadly, it might have been the nurture.

 

[turaj]

Victim blaming is so common anymore.

I don't think anyone here is blaming the Towers. What is being talked about is the trial itself and the total lack of background info given to the jury. Also lots of discussion about international adoption of children particularly from Ukraine/Russia and at an older age (ie not infant). Lots to consider for what went so terribly wrong. International adoption is normally a long and complex process with lots of scrutiny of prospective parents and home. Social workers visit the home and try to insure a smooth transition but challenges for adoptive parents are well known. It can and sometimes does go very bad. This case is the extreme. Not blaming them at all. Many such adoptions work out but it begs the question what went wrong here and what could have been done differently in advance of the events.

 

[Charlot123]

I don't think anyone here is blaming the Towers. What is being talked about is the trial itself and the total lack of background info given to the jury. Also lots of discussion about international adoption of children particularly from Ukraine/Russia and at an older age (ie not infant). Lots to consider for what went so terribly wrong. International adoption is normally a long and complex process with lots of scrutiny of prospective parents and home. Social workers visit the home and try to insure a smooth transition but challenges for adoptive parents are well known. It can and sometimes does go very bad. This case is the extreme. Not blaming them at all. Many such adoptions work out but it begs the question what went wrong here and what could have been done differently in advance of the events.

Agree. We had zero background story. Now we know that Dima was placed in the orphanage at the age of six (which sadly, could explain his poor speech development) and that the orphanage was in Luhansk.

Luhansk is in Eastern Ukraine, close to the Russian border. It is an old cold-mining and heavily industrialized city. Such cities have own atmosphere. They are harsh. You can extrapolate by imagining some old cold-mining city in Pennsylvania or West Virginia. In earlier time, Luhansk production was geared towards the Soviet Union, so after the collapse of the USSR the area took a major hit. Plus, coal mining is an unsteady area of industry. The city started recovering in early 2000es, then took an another hit in 2008, and then the invasion started. So we can assume that when Dima got into the orphanage (2007 or 2008), these were lean years.

And then, it was traditionally a Russian-speaking territory with extremely mixed population (not only Ukrainians or Russians. A lot of ethnic groups lived there. Lots of people were moved after WWII when mining and other industries developed). So, I already have a lot of questions. Was Dima ethnically Ukrainian or Russian? What was his mother tongue? They say that the orphanage was evacuated after the invasion - where to? There are very many things I’d like to know before Dima’s pre-adoption life. Perhaps I underestimate the negative factor or poor “nurturing”?

If Dima was born in 2001 (I suppose), then his parents’ youth fell on the 90-es, and what were the 90-es in all post-Soviet states is a topic for many books. Hunger, disorganization, mafia, unemployment, corporate raids and dismantling of enterprises. It was absolutely the same in Russia and Ukraine, only Ukraine was economically poorer. So we may be wondering about generational issues, diseases, even, and generational trauma. It does not explain what he did, and another adopted kid would not have done it for sure, ever, but how come there is no known story of Dima’s life before the trial? It can be so that he suppressed his memories, but how come his lazy@@@ defense attorney could not extract at least some information?

At least it should be a good learning story, but we don’t know anything, and it is a shame.

 

[charliethecat]

I have a question.

I understand that DT has been living in the US for 8 years
but, still, English is a foreign language for him.

I wonder if he should have been provided with an interpreter during trial?

He seemed to try to find adequate words during his testimony.

I'm just curious

JMO

We have adopted from Russia children in our wider family. The idea of having a translator was also thought about. We were advised that it was better to concentrate on getting their English going. Also if they have spent any time in an orphanage, their education would have been neglected, their Russian understanding would be at a very low education level. So if they were 14 say, then while they may have been of a normal IQ, their education level, in Russian, might only have been to say a 10 or 11 year old's level. Listening to this young man I find that his English is perfectly lucid and comprehensible. Our children were like sponges learning English

 

[charliethecat]

This is very possible.

Also what @Megnut above said "... but it's not hard to imagine he came into this adoption telling himself he wasn't wanted -- by anyone -- and then proceeded to prove it, by being impossible to love. "

All the more reason that he should have been thoroughly evaluated by a psychiatrist, and that psychiatrist should have testified and outlined his/her findings during the trial.

This reluctance to seek psychiatric support is not unknown. Some adoptive parents think that they can love the mixed up emotions away. Usually they can't and seeking support outside the adoption world for a slow and steady integration is usually not top of the priorities. On this topic I've said parents would seek help for a child's broken leg but some are reluctant to seek help for a child's broken mind. (not just for adopted children)

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Another factor to consider -- you can't force a child to participate in therapy or to try to heal and learn new coping skills, etc.

There isn't a known "fix" for psychological problems the way there is for a broken bone. It's extremely expensive and a roll of the dice whether it helps at all, and that's if the child or teen willingly participates.

So while I definitely agree they should have tried to get professional help for his psychological problems, I also extend them grace on being unable to do so successfully.

Keeping in mind he was an adult when he murdered them and would have had to help himself, or cooperate fully with their attempts, at age 22.