10-29-2011, 03:33 PM
LIFE. shit, he's 75.
Robert Bowman, 75, was sentenced to life in prison Friday, just moments after a Lucas County Common Pleas Court jury convicted him of murder in the first degree for the 1967 slaying of a Sylvania Township teenager.
Jurors deliberated for about 11 ½ hours over two days before reaching a verdict just before noon. The conviction came nearly 44 years after Eileen Adams was reported missing after failing to arrive at her sister’s home after school.
Her body was found 43 days later in rural Monroe County.
“When a person reads about a child’s disappearance in the newspaper, or hears an Amber Alert on the radio, or sees on TV that a missing child has been found dead, there’s always shock and disbelief. … But then the next big story comes along, and they forget, they forget about the child and the child’s family,” Miss Adams’ sister Maggie Kirschman said in court before Bowman’s sentencing. “Unfortunately for my siblings and myself, there is no forgetting. The short life and brutal death of Eileen Adams has never been just a story to us. Eileen was our sister. We can never forget.”
Witnesses testified over eight days that the 14-year-old Sylvania Township teenager was last seen Dec. 17, 1967, as she was traveling on a city bus to her sister’s West Toledo home after school.
Her body was found Jan. 30, 1968, in a Monroe County field bound in a braided, brown rug. Her hands were tied in front of her and a cord was wrapped around her neck and attached to her bound ankles. A nail had been driven into the back of her skull.
Among the 20 witnesses that testified — including four for the defense — was Bowman, who testified for about 3 ½ hours. Also testifying was his ex-wife, Margaret.
Ms. Bowman testified that she had seen a young girl with tape over her mouth tied up in a small room in her basement. She further testified that after learning of her discovery, Bowman told her that he was forced to kill the young victim.
Ms. Bowman said Bowman threatened her and her newborn baby if she told anyone what she saw. She testified that she eventually went to police 14 years later after leaving him.
Despite her statement, Bowman was not arrested when first investigated in 1982 and the case went cold again.
Witnesses testified that the investigation was reopened in 2006 using DNA found on the victim’s clothing, specifically a semen stain that was linked to Bowman.
DNA analysts concluded that the likelihood that the semen was from someone other than Bowman was 1 in 4.15 million.
Judge Gene Zmuda imposed the life sentence, noting that Bowman was finally held accountable for his actions decades ago. When offered an opportunity to speak before being sentenced to prison, Bowman said he would adjust to life in prison as he has adjusted to other situations.
“I recognized the pain and suffering that I just have heard from the family of Eileen Adams, I am not responsible for that,” he said. “I have no remorse. I have no reason for remorse.”
Bowman said he intended to appeal the conviction.
Attorneys from both the prosecutor’s office and the defense, as well as the family, thanked the jury for their hard work on the case.
Bowman’s first trial in August resulted in a mistrial after the jurors were unable to reach a consensus. That panel was hung at a 10-2 vote to convict.
![[Image: bowman-sheriff-escort.jpg]](http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2011/10/28/800x_b1_cCM_z_cT/bowman-sheriff-escort.jpg)
Robert Bowman, 75, was sentenced to life in prison Friday, just moments after a Lucas County Common Pleas Court jury convicted him of murder in the first degree for the 1967 slaying of a Sylvania Township teenager.
Jurors deliberated for about 11 ½ hours over two days before reaching a verdict just before noon. The conviction came nearly 44 years after Eileen Adams was reported missing after failing to arrive at her sister’s home after school.
Her body was found 43 days later in rural Monroe County.
“When a person reads about a child’s disappearance in the newspaper, or hears an Amber Alert on the radio, or sees on TV that a missing child has been found dead, there’s always shock and disbelief. … But then the next big story comes along, and they forget, they forget about the child and the child’s family,” Miss Adams’ sister Maggie Kirschman said in court before Bowman’s sentencing. “Unfortunately for my siblings and myself, there is no forgetting. The short life and brutal death of Eileen Adams has never been just a story to us. Eileen was our sister. We can never forget.”
Witnesses testified over eight days that the 14-year-old Sylvania Township teenager was last seen Dec. 17, 1967, as she was traveling on a city bus to her sister’s West Toledo home after school.
Her body was found Jan. 30, 1968, in a Monroe County field bound in a braided, brown rug. Her hands were tied in front of her and a cord was wrapped around her neck and attached to her bound ankles. A nail had been driven into the back of her skull.
Among the 20 witnesses that testified — including four for the defense — was Bowman, who testified for about 3 ½ hours. Also testifying was his ex-wife, Margaret.
Ms. Bowman testified that she had seen a young girl with tape over her mouth tied up in a small room in her basement. She further testified that after learning of her discovery, Bowman told her that he was forced to kill the young victim.
Ms. Bowman said Bowman threatened her and her newborn baby if she told anyone what she saw. She testified that she eventually went to police 14 years later after leaving him.
Despite her statement, Bowman was not arrested when first investigated in 1982 and the case went cold again.
Witnesses testified that the investigation was reopened in 2006 using DNA found on the victim’s clothing, specifically a semen stain that was linked to Bowman.
DNA analysts concluded that the likelihood that the semen was from someone other than Bowman was 1 in 4.15 million.
Judge Gene Zmuda imposed the life sentence, noting that Bowman was finally held accountable for his actions decades ago. When offered an opportunity to speak before being sentenced to prison, Bowman said he would adjust to life in prison as he has adjusted to other situations.
“I recognized the pain and suffering that I just have heard from the family of Eileen Adams, I am not responsible for that,” he said. “I have no remorse. I have no reason for remorse.”
Bowman said he intended to appeal the conviction.
Attorneys from both the prosecutor’s office and the defense, as well as the family, thanked the jury for their hard work on the case.
Bowman’s first trial in August resulted in a mistrial after the jurors were unable to reach a consensus. That panel was hung at a 10-2 vote to convict.