Posted on 03/01/2006 1:08:10 PM PST by SmithL
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — The man who killed a 12-year-girl on her way home from school in 1970 died in state custody this week — 36 years to the day after the murder.
Freddie Bowen, 61, died of natural causes Sunday at Meharry General Hospital while serving a 99-year sentence for killing Betty Jean Necessary, said Tennessee Department of Correction spokeswoman Amanda Sluss.
Bowen attacked the girl in a small patch of woods as she walked home from Kingsley Elementary School Feb. 26, 1970.
She was snatched just 200 yards from her front door, gagged and carried to a small clearing, where police believe Bowen raped her.
Bowen, who was 25 years old at the time, then shot Betty four times and buried her in a small cave a little farther away.
Police found her dead several days later but presented evidence in court that she was alive when Bowen left her.
Bowen was originally sentenced to death, but that sentence was commuted to 99 years when capital punishment laws were changed.
Sluss said she couldn’t reveal Bowen’s medical condition, but Betty Jean Necessary’s sister, Patty Powell, said Tuesday that Bowen had cancer.
"I can’t say I’m sorry he’s dead because if he had gotten out he’d have done it again," Powell said.
Powell and her family worked to keep Bowen in prison by getting area citizens to sign petitions opposing parole the four times he was eligible.
"All I wanted to do is see him stay in there until the day he died, and he did," she said.
It's just too bad that he didn't get to live for the entire 99 years in prison only to drop dead at the gate upon release.
Hell's waiting for it's newest soon-to-be eternal victim...
36 years isn't a whole lot longer than some of the appeals "processes" we've seen.
What a shame... it'd be more appropriate if he'd died screaming in terror at the hands of the General Population.
That's good. What gets me is that he was up for parole four times. This murderer might have gone free if the family hadn't been there to get parole denied every time.
He was given 99 years, but was up for parole four times in the 30 years he was there.
That doesn't sound like life to me.
"36 years to the day after the murder . . .
Freddie Bowen, 61, died of natural causes"
Our death sentencing/death roll appeals system sucks. This guy should have fried in Ole' Smokey within 36 weeks of his conviction.
"died of natural causes Sunday at Meharry General Hospital"
You can die of a lot of causes at Meharry General, not sure what percentage would be considered "natural".
Now he's going to do some real time. And I don't think his jailer will treat him quite as nicely as Uncle Sam.
Cut the murder rate in Richmond, which is one nasty place, in half, PLUS.
It's rather barbaric to continue with the parole thing ~ you guys should get rid of it as soon as possible.
Well, I'm pretty sure "natural" doesn't include a pipe upside the head, a shiv in the gut, or a beating by fellow prisoners. And he deserved all those at least.
One can only hope that the "natural causes" involved the natural consequences of having a sharpend broomstick thrust through his spleen.
I have some knowledge of parole board hearings and it's my definite impression that "up for parole" is simply a required formality in the eyes of the commissioners who decide if the perp gets parole.
They gotta listen to the lifer cause the guy's "up for parole" but you can tell that they have no intention of letting life perps out. You can almost see them with their mental hands on the toilet flusher, just waiting for everyone to go through the motions so they can ix-nay on the elon-fay. Gives my heart a warm fuzzy feeling.
He was not sentenced to 'life', but instead was sentenced to 99 years. That is a more severe sentence. With a life sentence, you can be paroled after 7½ years.
Personally, my favorite sentence is 'life plus one day'. After serving life, we can discuss parole on the extra day.
He lived 36 years and 1 day too long.
G-d have mercy on his miserable soul, and prayers to the family and friends of his victim.
"Well, I'm pretty sure "natural" doesn't include a pipe upside the head, a shiv in the gut, or a beating by fellow prisoners. And he deserved all those at least."
You're right, he deserved all those things, if not more. My point, which I probably didn't make very clearly, was that Meharry General is not safe for one's health. Granted, if you were to give a subhuman like this creep hospital care, it probably should be at a place like Meharry; nevertheless, if you're ever in Nashville and need hospitalization and they direct you to Meharry, look for a local veterinarian's clinic instead.
They could leave his corpse as an example to others until 99 years have been served....
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