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in: Alabama, 1997, 2000,
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Jerry Lee Bowen

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Jerry bowen

Jerry Lee Bowen

Real Name: Jerry Lee Bowen
Aliases: None Known
Wanted For: Murder
Missing Since: June 14, 2000

Brenda bowen

Brenda Bowen

Case

Details: Fifty-three-year-old contractor Jerry Bowen is wanted for the murder of his forty-four-year-old ex-wife, Brenda Breckenridge Bowen. She vanished from her rural home in Westover, Alabama, on January 28, 1997. She was last seen by their daughter, Jinger, at around 7:20am. At about 12pm, two of Brenda’s friends arrived at her home after she failed to show up for a prayer meeting earlier that morning. But she was nowhere to be found.
Within hours, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office had responded to the scene. According to Lt. Don King, Brenda’s clothes were laid out on her bed as if she was going to get dressed after she finished her shower. Her jewelry was left on her dresser. Everything was laid out nicely and neatly. Her curling iron was in the “on” position in the bathroom. The only clothes missing were her pajamas. There were no other signs that she was there at all.
Brenda lived a life that most people would envy. She was blessed with two healthy teenage children, Jinger and Jason, a thriving real estate business, and a sprawling home in the beautiful Alabama countryside. She was also the director of her church’s women’s ministry. Her friends and family could find no reason why she would suddenly vanish. Her mother, Joyce Breckenridge, says that it was devastating for the family when Brenda went missing. Joyce stayed at home, hoping that Brenda would call. But in her heart, she knew that something terrible had happened to her.
The only source of friction in Brenda’s life was Jerry. Two years earlier, in 1995, their nineteen-year marriage had abruptly fallen apart. Joyce says the couple had worked well together. But at some point, Jerry started a relationship with another woman. He then asked Brenda for a divorce. With the help of a divorce attorney, they separated on good terms and even agreed to a very unusual living arrangement.
Brenda would live in their main residence, while Jerry would reside in the guest house just 100 feet from her back door. He also gave her the bulk of the couple’s assets. He lived quietly in her shadow until he ran into financial difficulties. She told her father, James, about a night time conversation with Jerry in her home.
Jerry told Brenda that he was in financial trouble and that they needed to get back together. She told him that she did not want to live a lie, but he was insistent. She said to him that she had to think about it. She asked if they could talk about it in the morning. He became angry and left. As he was leaving, he told her he would take her back to court. Recounting the conversation, she said to James: “I've never seen hate like that in anyone's eyes.”
Four days later, Brenda vanished. The police began their investigation at the Bowen home. Jerry was fully cooperative and even offered his own theory on what happened to her. Lt. King says that as he was about to leave that afternoon, Jerry asked him what he thought happened to her. He said, “Well, let’s hope that she’s on a beach somewhere in Florida.” Jerry immediately responded, “You’re wrong. She’s dead.” Lt. King said to him, “Well if she’s dead, where do you think we could find her?” Jerry looked at him and said, “You could find her in the water somewhere.”
Several volunteers, including many of Brenda’s family and friends, searched the surrounding area for her. One person suspiciously absent from the search efforts was Jerry. That same night, a volunteer found Brenda’s car, a 1991 Honda Accord, stuck in the mud in a wooded area 200 feet off Shelby County Road 51 and about five miles from her home.
Brenda’s car had apparently been wiped clean of fingerprints. Some of her personal belongings, such as her purse, cell phone, and checkbooks, were found inside. Her purse did not appear to have been tampered with. This information led Shelby County’s Sheriff Jones to believe that robbery was not the reason for her disappearance. He believes the car was left that way as a “decoy” and that Brenda would not be found in that area.
Brenda’s son, Jason, raised an even more troubling question about the car. He asked the police what position the driver’s seat was in. They told him that it was pushed all the way back. He pointed out to them that Brenda was only 5’2”. Her feet could not have reached the pedals with the car seat completely pushed back.
But the strangest question came out of Jerry’s own mouth when he unexpectedly appeared at the crime scene. He asked, “Is that the car that belongs to the woman who is missing?” The police did not understand why he asked this because he would have known it was Brenda’s car. Sheriff Jones says this odd question led them to look even more closely at Jerry.
Jerry was taken to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for an interview, where his behavior continued to raise red flags. Sheriff Jones says that Jerry was of no help to them whatsoever. According to Sheriff Jones, he showed no concern for Brenda’s well-being. He told them that he had not seen her that day. However, he repeatedly referred to her in the past tense, even though she had been missing for less than a day. And during the process of the interview, he fell asleep.
But Jerry’s friends and family adamantly claim that he was in shock and overcome with worry for Brenda. His former girlfriend, Judy Davidson, says he was very concerned about Brenda, but he was also upset that the police thought he might have been responsible. According to Judy, he often said that he was innocent and that there was no way they were going to pin Brenda’s murder on him.
According to Jerry’s sister, Peggy Vance, the police stripped him down and checked him for any cuts, bruises, or bites. However, they did not find a scratch on him anywhere. According to Peggy, they got in his face and told him, “We know you did something to [Brenda]. Whatever happened to her, we know you did it. And we will prove it.” She believes that they had tunnel vision from that night on.
On the other hand, James says he has zero doubt in his mind that Jerry killed Brenda. But there was no evidence linking Jerry to her disappearance, and he was released. Two months later, on March 29, 1997, three fishermen saw something floating in the murky waters along the banks of the nearby Coosa River in Childersburg.
It was Brenda’s body – weighed down with heavy logging chains, bound with a telephone cord, and tied inside a sheet. The advanced state of decomposition made it impossible for the coroner to determine the cause of death. However, it was suspected that she died either from suffocation or drowning.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Randall Hillman says that when Brenda’s body surfaced, she was “packaged” in a specific manner. A green top sheet from a bed was wrapped around her body. Around the sheet was a length of nylon rope. The sheet was positively identified as coming from the Bowen home. And there were several curious things about the rope. It was tied with three specific and unusual knots: a bowline, a slip, and a square. And the ends had been purposefully burned.
According to Hillman, Jason asked to look at the rope that was around Brenda’s body. When he looked at it, tears filled his eyes. He said, “I’ve seen that same combination of knots from Jerry dozens of times…I’ve never seen anybody else do it.” Jerry was an avid outdoorsman; others who knew him confirmed that he habitually fastened his camping gear with those same knots. In addition, every time Jerry cut a piece of nylon rope, he would take a cigarette lighter and burn the ends of it.
The knots, the car seat, the burned ends of the rope – it all pointed back to Jerry. For the next year, detectives continued to investigate. Finally, in January 1998, Jerry was arrested and charged with Brenda’s murder. He was later released on bail. Detectives believe that he killed her in a bitter rage triggered by the financial burden from the divorce.
The case against Jerry was almost entirely circumstantial except for one crucial element. He could not account for his whereabouts before 9:30am on the morning of Brenda’s disappearance. A workman told the police that he had stopped by Jerry’s home that morning, but no one was there. On April 17, 2000, Jerry’s trial began. Twenty-nine witnesses testified against him. On April 28, the jury took only six hours to decide his fate: guilty of first-degree murder. But his bizarre story did not end with his conviction.
While awaiting sentencing, Jerry was released on a $150,000 bond due to his otherwise clean record. On June 20, 2000, the day of his sentencing, his sister received a blunt letter. It read: “This may be a dumb move on my part, sis. But I don’t feel I should serve time for a crime I didn’t commit. Therefore, I am running.” He had previously told Peggy he feared for his life in prison, saying he did not think he would survive.
Jerry was last seen on June 14, when he told Peggy he was going camping at Wind Creek State Park. Both of his vehicles were left at his home, along with all of his belongings. James says that when Jerry was convicted, he thought it was “payday” and that Jerry would finally pay for what he had done. But when Jerry fled, he felt that “payday” had evaporated.
The FBI and local police descended on Jerry’s home, looking for clues to his whereabouts. But no one was prepared for what was found on his computer: thousands of violent and sadistic pornographic images. In six months, he had visited over 5,000 websites dedicated to violence toward women, hard-core pornography, and cannibalism.
FBI agent Kurt Jester says that Jerry is usually polite and respectful to others. But when he is back in his own “secret place” within his residence, the bizarreness of his behavior starts to emerge when he visits websites of women being abused, tied up, shackled, and tortured, as well as a fascination with naked pregnant women.
No other evidence was recovered from Jerry’s home that would lead detectives to him. One month after he fled, he was sentenced to life in prison in absentia. Joyce says that she and her family cannot have closure until Jerry is found and placed in police custody. Authorities believe he may be working in the construction industry. He has been seen in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Key Largo, Florida. He should be considered extremely dangerous. FBI profilers fear that the pressure of life on the run may drive him to act on some of his sick fantasies.
Extra Notes:

  • This case first aired on the July 19, 2001 episode.
  • It was also profiled on America's Most Wanted during the investigation and I (Almost) Got Away With It after it was resolved.
  • The show states that Brenda’s car was found forty-three miles from her home; however, all other sources state that it was five miles away. Some sources state that James reported Brenda missing after she failed to pick up Joyce for a doctor’s visit.
Jerry bowen inmate photo

Jerry after his 2004 arrest

Results: Captured - On December 21, 2004, a viewer in North Charleston, South Carolina, was watching a repeat broadcast of this story when she recognized Jerry as her sister’s boyfriend, “Steven Starbuck.” She told her husband, and they searched the Internet for information about Jerry. They found his picture, printed it out, and went to her sister’s house nearby. When she viewed the photo, she was also certain that “Starbuck” was Jerry. They quickly contacted the local police and the FBI.
That night, officers interviewed “Starbuck” at his residence. He told them his name was “Steven Starbuck” and gave them a driver’s license and birth certificate. He then agreed to go with them to the police department to be fingerprinted. When his fingerprints were compared to the ones on file for Jerry, they did not appear to match.
But a crime scene technician decided to take a closer look. The technician noticed that even though the fingertips did not look alike, the ridges just above the first crease on the fingers were a perfect match. When confronted, “Starbuck” confirmed that he was Jerry. He was then placed under arrest.
Once in custody, Jerry told the police that he began planning his escape shortly after his conviction. He researched how to become a fugitive, disappear, and assume a new identity. He secretly bought a new vehicle and went to Reno, Nevada. While there, he befriended a homeless man, Richard Basset, and stole his identity. He successfully applied for a new driver’s license under this name in Salt Lake City, Utah. He even paid $19,000 in back child support for Richard to keep anyone from looking for him.
Jerry found work in construction in Salt Lake City. While there, over several months, he purposefully dipped his fingers in acid in an attempt to remove his fingerprints. Two years later, after learning that the real Richard had died, he realized he needed a new identity. He met another homeless man named Steven Bell Starbuck and stole his identity.
Jerry then went to North Charleston and obtained a driver’s license in that name. He started dating the viewer’s sister and bought an old house to restore. He was also pulled over on two separate occasions for speeding; however, no one knew he was a fugitive at that time. Later that year, he was identified and arrested. In his North Charleston home, authorities found Social Security documents, military records, obituaries, and high school diplomas, which he used to help create his false identities.
After his arrest, Jerry was returned to Alabama and sentenced to life in prison for Brenda’s murder. In December 2005, he pleaded guilty to charges of identity theft and weapons possession in South Carolina. He will next be eligible for parole in March 2026. He still maintains his innocence in Brenda’s case.
Sadly, Brenda’s parents and her son, Jason, have since passed away.
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