It wasn't an accident, or the resolution of a flash of anger. For once, there was no woman involved.
It was a premeditated murder that involved hours of torturing an old man until he finally told where his money was hidden. Then they shot him.
Joe Bowman's innocent investigation of his genealogy uncovered the truth. Joe lost his father at a young age and was eventually adopted by the Bowman family, but unlike many adoptees, he knew his birth parents. He wanted his two daughters to know their family's story, too, but he was as surprised as anyone to learn that they were related to a notorious convicted murderer, John Showers, who was eventually murdered himself in prison.
Last night,
Mr. Bowman returned to the scene of the crime to promote his book,
Bad Man From Bodie, which not only presents the historical record, but also reflects Bowman's 25 years as a police officer. Some court testimony was vague and obviously inaccurate, but Bowman was able to piece together a plausible account of what likely happened on the night of March 11, 1883.
"1883 was a not a good time in your town," Library Director Peggy Conaway told the crowd assembled in the council chambers, as she introduced the speaker. She pointed out that the town had not yet incorporated and was then called Redwood Township in some records.
Before the presentation, Mr. Bowman was available to sign books and answer questions. A highly decorated veteran of the Gulf War, the Air Force Master Sergeant (Ret.) explained that while his teenaged daughter finds the murder stories fascinating, his older daughter would rather forget this chapter in the family's history.
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