Fashion designer found dead in creek drowned after falling from road, autopsy shows

A 53-year-old international fashion designer whose body lay in a Huntersville creek for a day – despite two police searches – drowned after falling from a road and suffering head injuries, an autopsy shows.

Emile Dave Rowe, a father of seven from Huntersville, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.17, according to a toxicology report also released to the Observer on Wednesday by the N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office in Raleigh. The legal limit for driving in North Carolina is 0.08.

Rowe likely consumed alcohol, the autopsy found. However, “ethanol due to decomposition cannot be completely excluded,” according to the autopsy by the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The grandfather of five crashed in the early morning dark off Huntersville-Concord Road on Aug. 16. He appears to have left his car and fallen over a guardrail into Ramah Creek, Huntersville police said at the time.

Two initial searches by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police failed to find the driver, including one search with a police dog.

Huntersville Police found Rowe’s body in the creek a day later, after his family went to the department to ask for help in finding him.

Rowe’s body was found down a grassy embankment less than a half-mile from the wreck, Huntersville police Lt. Andrew Dempski told the Observer.

Rowe crashed into several trees after his 1999 Mercedes Benz left Huntersville-Concord Road in the 16400 block, police said. That’s near Metrolina Greenhouses.

CMPD officers found no one in the car or in the immediate area when they responded to the wreck. CMPD officers returned in daylight with a dog to search a larger area and still found no one, Huntersville police said.

Rowe was born in Jamaica, according to his obituary. He and his wife lived for many years in New York City, where they raised their children.

For 27 years as a fashion designer and consultant, he designed and dressed social elites in the West Indies, the U.S., Canada, Africa and Great Britain, his obituary said.

“He created 162 clothing lines for some of the top celebrities all over the world,” according to his obituary from Carl M. Ellington Funeral Services in Charlotte. “He was extraordinary in (creating fashion designs) that would appeal to various types of customers and cultures. He was one the hottest trendsetters.”

Rowe had “an amazing zeal for God,” the notice said.

“Emile’s heart was gigantic,” his obituary added. “We will still hear his voice. Our world will continue to pulsate with the rhythm and memory of his love, patience, kindness, generosity and humor.”

This story was originally published February 28, 2018 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Fashion designer found dead in creek drowned after falling from road, autopsy shows."