Franklin County Prosecutor Press Release

Posted on 2/20/2009

Defendant: Joseph Bowers

This is a death penalty case from a 2003 homicide where a 10 year old daughter was in the home during the rape and murder of her mom. The defendant’s DNA was obtained after he was sent to prison for 2 drug offenses, and his DNA matched evidence collected at the homicide crime scene. DNA also matched a shirt discarded at the scene of another robbery that year in a Meijer parking lot. Defendant pled guilty and agreed to the sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.