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.
Well, we taxpayers NEVER tire of supporting these fellows it seems....Oh! Wait a minute...The Legislators in this country never etc etc etc ....Better Now!
I think he's screaming in terror right now ... for all eternity ....
Having done 6 parole hearings to keep my Jeremy's killer in prison, I can say the family is now at peace. Jeremy's killer a sociopath is now walking the streets of Tennessee as he maxed out his 'good behavior' time after 16.5 years of a 20 year sentence. I got every day possible out of it.
OK, I didn't say that well, but I'm glad that he was never set free.
That's not Justice, but rather, it's enabling evil.
Been my daughter I would have gotten myself convicted of a crime, sent to his prison and iced him!
I just love a happy ending!
May his judgment be swift and sure by the Most High God, with Betty as his accuser before the angels.
"Man who killed girl dies in prison"
This seems to happen to a lot of child killers
and molesters.
It's to bad he didn't enter the death chamber the day after his appeals ran out.
So is plea barganing. He pled down from 1st degree, to 2nd, because there were no witnesses was what the AG told us. 30 years was the norm even for 2nd, but all we got was 20. He was told he'd only have to serve 30%. He didn't even beging to understand how tenacious I am and how much I loved my child. That AG is now our county AG and even though he's a republican I won't vote for him. I felt then and feel now he sold us out. We had no input in the case, he tried his best to avoid us...meaning ME as I was the one in the court room once a month for 2 year, just to keep hearing one postponement after another for various stupid reasons. 10 months after he was sentenced we had the first parole hearing. Fought 5 more after that.
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