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2002

R v. Thomas Bowman

Type of Case: Legal

Form(s) of Corroboration: Physical evidence

Publication or Case Location: UK

Description

R v. Thomas Bowman was a 2002 criminal case from the UK in which Thomas Bowman was convicted for the murder of his wife, Mary Bowman, more than 20 years earlier. His daughter, Diane Bowman, recovered memories during therapy of the night of her mother's death in which "she saw her father hurl her mother Mary into a fireplace, force feed her sleeping pills and alcohol and then strangle her." Bowman also recalled two times that she had attempted to tell others of her mother's murder as a child, but had been dismissed. In response to these claims, Mary's body was exhumed and a second autopsy performed with intent to discover any evidence of foul play. Evidence of strangling and death by asphixiation were found during this autopsy. Diane's testimony combined with new forensic evidence lead to Bowman's conviction and a life sentence for murder. (During his trial he was also convicted on numerous accounts for sexual violence against his and Mary's two children.) Though he appealed his conviction for the murder, the judgement was reaffirmed (Powell). See also Moles 2006. http://netk.net.au/UK/UK115.asp

Sources

1. Powell, A. (2002, July 24). After 24 years a daughter's memory send killer to jail. Daily Mail, p. 37. 2.
Moles, R. N. (2006, March 2). UK reports: R v bowman [2006] EWCA Crim 417 - 2 March 2006. Networked Knowledge. Retrieved August 22, 2022, from http://netk.net.au/UK/UK115.asp

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