MI Dennis Bowman, Western Michigan, 1970's to 2012

[Richard]

Dennis Bowman has been convicted of two violent murders to date. He killed Kathleen O'Brien Doyle in Virginia Beach, VA in 1980 and killed his adopted daughter Aundria Bowman in Michigan in 1989. Both of those victims have threads here on Websleuths.

Bowman was a Naval Reservist who went to other states for reserve training and active duty periods. His main deployment area was in the Virginia Beach, VA area.

While only convicted of two murders, it is highly likely that he killed many more.

The date range in the header is only a rough estimate. He may have been killing up to his 2019 arrest.

How many others were there?

LINKS:

GUILTY - VA - Kathleen O'Brien Doyle, 25, Murdered, Virginia Beach, 11 Sept 1980 *arrest in 2019*

GUILTY - MI - Aundria Bowman, 14, murdered, Holland, 11 March 1989 *located 2020, adoptive father convicted*

GUILTY - MI - Aundria Bowman, 14, murdered, Holland, 11 March 1989 *located 2020, adoptive father convicted*

 

[Richard]

Here is a story about an attempted abduction of a six year old Michigan girl in 1989 by a man whose sketch resembles photos of Dennis Bowman.

LINKS:

https://militarymurderpodcast.com/w...ld-abducted-article-entire-e1602387734353.jpg

Woman believes cold case suspect abducted her in 1989

 

[Richard]

Do I sense a similarity here?

Alice Margaret Eskew

On Tuesday, September 4, 1979, Alice Eskew was last seen at home in the 3100 block of Arctic Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA. She left her home walking towards Laskin Road just before dusk. A missing person’s report was filed with police after she failed to return home that evening.

Her body was found on Thursday, September 6, 1979 at approximately 5:00 pm in the densely wooded area of Seashore State Park just off Shore Drive close to the bypass. Ms. Eskew’s body was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. Alice’s cause of death is blunt force trauma; therefore the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Alice was 18 years old and a very petite white female who was 5’ 1’’ tall weighing 80 pounds. She had long blonde hair and dark eyes.

Sources:

Alice Margaret Eskew - Virginia Beach Crime Solvers

Man charged in 1980 slaying of 25-year-old Norfolk woman

LINK:

VA - Alice Margaret Eskew, 18, Murdered 4 September 1979, Virginia Beach

 

[Richard]

Another possibly related murder?

Roberta Walls, 22
Murdered 15 May 1986
Virginia Beach, VA
On Wednesday, May 15, 1986 at 6:30 am, Roberta Walls’ body was found in the field behind Old Donation Elementary School located in the 1000 block of Ferry Plantation Drive. She was found with obvious signs of trauma due to a violent assault. Roberta’s body was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. Her death was the result of homicide. Investigators determined Roberta had last been seen alive the night before at the Bayside Public Library located across the street from the location of Roberta’s murder.

She was known to frequent the Aragona area of Virginia Beach and the Ocean View area of Norfolk. Roberta was a 22 year old white female who worked as an office worker. She had hazel eyes, shoulder length brown hair and stood 5’ 3’’ tall weighing 134 pounds. Roberta had tattoos on her arm and abdomen.

LINKS:

Roberta Walls :: VBgov.com - City of Virginia Beach

VA - VA, Roberta Walls, age 22, baseball field in Virginia Beach, May 15, 1986

 

[Richard]

Another Virginia Beach unsolved murder:

Lisa Ann Jolley, age 20
Murdered 25 January 1985

On Friday, January 25, 1985, Lisa Ann Jolley was last seen sleeping in her apartment by her husband just before he left for work during the early morning hours. Together, they lived in the 5600 block of Barnaby Court. At approximately 5:00 pm, Mr. Jolley returned home to find his wife lying in a bath tub filled with water. Police were called to the scene and discovered the victim deceased and fully clothed. There did not appear to be any signs of forced entry into the home. Lisa’s body was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. The cause of death is asphyxiation and the manner ruled a homicide.

Lisa was a 20 year old dependent wife of an active duty U.S. Navy enlisted man. She was 5’ 7’’ tall weighing 177 pounds, with blue/grey eyes and blonde hair.

LINK:

Lisa Ann Jolley - Virginia Beach Crime Solvers

Lisa Ann Jolley :: VBgov.com - City of Virginia Beach

 

[Richard]

This young woman was murdered in Holland, Michigan. Dennis Bowman's home town.


Deborah Polinsky, 20, Murdered 23 July 1977

LINK:

MI - MI - Deborah Polinsky, 20, Holland, 23 July 1977

 

[Richard]

Kathleen Mary O'Brien Doyle
BIRTH 8 Apr 1955
Pennsylvania, USA
DEATH 9 Sep 1980 (aged 25)
Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia, USA
BURIAL
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia, USA
PLOT Live Oak, Block B, Lot 75, Space N

On August 31, 1980, 25-year old Kathleen O'Brien Doyle, an aspiring author started a journal. Perhaps a bit self conscious Kathleen wrote, "I will most likely write so that anyone looking over my shoulder would neither raise an eyebrow nor really raise too much interest."
Kathleen was writing about her past in order to understand herself and where she fit into the future.

She was living as a Navy wife in Norfolk, Virginia. Kathleen's husband of nine months, Lt. Stephen Doyle, was away at sea on the USS Eisenhower and Kathleen was living with "Ike" their orange tabby in a small framed house on Granby Road. It was in an upper middle class neighborhood and several Navy families lived in the vicinity. It was not a place where violent crime often visited.

Nine days after her first journal entry, Kathleen was found lying on the floor of her bedroom. She'd been beaten, bound and gagged, punched, kicked, stabbed, raped and strangled.

It was a brutal overkill.


LINKS:

Kathleen Mary O'Brien Doyle (1955-1980) -...

GUILTY - VA - Kathleen O'Brien Doyle, 25, Murdered, Virginia Beach, 11 Sept 1980 *arrest in 2019*

 

[Richard]

Aundria Michelle Miranda “Alexis” Badger Bowman
BIRTH 23 Jun 1974
New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA
DEATH 11 Mar 1989 (aged 14)
Monterey Township, Allegan County, Michigan, USA
BURIAL Cremated

LINK:

Aundria Michelle Miranda “Alexis” Badger Bowman...

 

[Earth]

It certainly looks as if he could be responsible for more homicides. Do we know where he used to be sent to?

 

[Richard]

It certainly looks as if he could be responsible for more homicides. Do we know where he used to be sent to?

Dennis Bowman was a Naval Reservist. That usually requires going to a weekend drill in the local area once a month, and then going on active duty for two weeks at some time during the year. It depends on what type of job or specialty area the reservist is serving in as to where he deploys to and what time of year he goes.

When going on two weeks active duty, it is usually spent with a regular Navy command, or unit at a specific Naval base. I don't know where Bowman usually deployed, but the Virginia Beach/Norfolk, Virginia area was one of them. He was there when he murdered Kathleen O'Brien Doyle (the wife of a Naval Officer) in September 1980.

Bowman's Naval Reserve personnel record would have all of his duty stations, dates, and assignments recorded. It could be made available on request or subpoena to any law enforcement agency that wished to look into him as a possible suspect in other crimes.

It would also be of interest to know what civilian work Bowman did and learn of his travels and locations at various times.

 

[Richard]

Stacy Lyn Chahorski, 19 missing since 15 Sept 1988
Remains identified in 2022

Stacy Lyn Chahorski, age 19, was reported missing from Norton Shores, Michigan by her mother in September 1988. In March 2022, the previously unidentified body of a strangled girl found in Dade County, Georgia (December 1988) was positively identified as that of Stacy.

Investigators have now turned their efforts to identifying and locating Stacy's killer.

Norton Shores, is 27 miles north of Holland, Michigan - home of Dennis Bowman. Could there be a connection?

LINKS:

Stacy Chahorski

Michigan Woman Missing for 33 Years Identified with Genealogy Technology

Stacey Lyn Chahorski: Remains of a woman who went missing 33 years ago has been identified. Now authorities will look for her killer - touristifier

‘Rising Fawn Jane Doe’ Found In Georgia 33 Years Ago ID’d As Missing Michigan Woman | Oxygen Official Site

Who was Stacey Lyn Chahorski ( Missing woman from Michigan found murdered in Georgia 33 years ago identified ) Wiki, Bio, Age, Crime, Incident details, Investigations and More Facts

 

[JnRyan]

Dennis Bowman was a Naval Reservist. That usually requires going to a weekend drill in the local area once a month, and then going on active duty for two weeks at some time during the year. It depends on what type of job or specialty area the reservist is serving in as to where he deploys to and what time of year he goes.

When going on two weeks active duty, it is usually spent with a regular Navy command, or unit at a specific Naval base. I don't know where Bowman usually deployed, but the Virginia Beach/Norfolk, Virginia area was one of them. He was there when he murdered Kathleen O'Brien Doyle (the wife of a Naval Officer) in September 1980.

Bowman's Naval Reserve personnel record would have all of his duty stations, dates, and assignments recorded. It could be made available on request or subpoena to any law enforcement agency that wished to look into him as a possible suspect in other crimes.

It would also be of interest to know what civilian work Bowman did and learn of his travels and locations at various times.

I was in the Navy Reserve starting sometime after Bowman started in the reserves and in the Norfolk/VA Beach area. I wonder if I crossed paths with him during that time. I've never heard what his rating was in the Navy.

 

[Richard]

Here is an unsolved missing person case from Virginia Beach, VA 1979. Was Dennis Bowman in the area for Naval Reserve duty?

Marcia Estelle Remick, age 17
Missing since 5 June 1979

Name: Marcia Estelle Remick
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: June 5, 1979
Location Last Seen: Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach County, Virginia
Physical Description
Date of Birth: May 7, 1962
Age: 17 yrs old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 111 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: None
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Mole on arm near elbow; Pierced ears.

Identifiers
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Marcia Estelle Remick was last seen on June 9, 1979 when she told a roommate that she was going to visit a friend at the ocean front. She never arrived. Marcia's usual mode of travel was either on foot or by hitchhiking. During the investigation, there were rumors that the victim was in Florida. However, this information has never been confirmed. Foul play suspected.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Virginia Beach Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Kristy Curtis
Agency Phone Number: 757-385-4023 / 757-385-1890
Agency E-Mail: KCurtis@vbgov.com
Agency Case Number: 1979-056062
NCIC Case Number: N/A
NamUs Case Number: 946
NCMEC Case Number: 1155042

Information Source(s)
NCMEC
Namus
Nampn
Virginia Beach Crime Solvers
227DFVA - Marcia Estelle Remick

 

[Richard]

Dennis Bowman, photo taken in 1980

Dennis Bowman was working for a yacht company in 1980. In a 1980 assault case in Ottawa County (Michigan), Bowman was accused of approaching a woman from behind while she was riding a bicycle. He was on a motorcycle. He was accused of pulling out a gun, demanding she walk to the woods, and firing two shots, but she got away.

The woman described her escape, saying, that a woman in a pickup truck approached on the highway. As Bowman turned to look at the vehicle, she peddled her bicycle out into the highway in front of the approaching pickup truck. The driver of the truck stopped. She threw her bicycle into the bed of the truck and jumped in.

Bowman received a 5-10 year prison sentence for that assault and attempted abduction, which he appealed.

The appeal was denied by a judge who stated, "…the psychologist indicates that he presents the clinical picture of a rapist; and we conclude that he is a danger to women if he is not confined.”

Bowman was released in 1985.

LINK:
Dennis Bowman: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

 

[JnRyan]

Dennis Bowman, photo taken in 1980

Dennis Bowman was working for a yacht company in 1980. In a 1980 assault case in Ottawa County (Michigan), Bowman was accused of approaching a woman from behind while she was riding a bicycle. He was on a motorcycle. He was accused of pulling out a gun, demanding she walk to the woods, and firing two shots, but she got away.

The woman described her escape, saying, that a woman in a pickup truck approached on the highway. As Bowman turned to look at the vehicle, she peddled her bicycle out into the highway in front of the approaching pickup truck. The driver of the truck stopped. She threw her bicycle into the bed of the truck and jumped in.

Bowman received a 5-10 year prison sentence for that assault and attempted abduction, which he appealed.

The appeal was denied by a judge who stated, "…the psychologist indicates that he presents the clinical picture of a rapist; and we conclude that he is a danger to women if he is not confined.”

Bowman was released in 1985.

LINK:
Dennis Bowman: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

Well, that would have gotten Bowman bounced out of the Navy Reserve for sure. So he was not in the Reserves when I was in the Tidewater area.

 

[Richard]

Here is another unsolved missing person case from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Was Dennis Bowman involved in this one?

Barbara Jean Monaco, age 18
Missing since 20 August 1978 from Virginia Beach, VA

LINKS:

VA - VA - Barbara Monaco, 18, Virginia Beach, 20 Aug 1978

Barbara Jean Monaco – The Charley Project

 

[Ozoner]

Here is another unsolved missing person case from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Was Dennis Bowman involved in this one?

Barbara Jean Monaco, age 18
Missing since 20 August 1978 from Virginia Beach, VA

LINKS:

VA - VA - Barbara Monaco, 18, Virginia Beach, 20 Aug 1978

Barbara Jean Monaco – The Charley Project

He should be looked at for all unsolved murders and disappearances of women that date to the time when he was in the area, but he did not hide or conceal Kathleen O'Brien Doyle's body. Do we know the range of dates that he was in the Virginia Beach area?

He did conceal his step-daughter's body, but that was a different scenario in that she would have been connected to him immediately if found.

 

[Richard]

He should be looked at for all unsolved murders and disappearances of women that date to the time when he was in the area, but he did not hide or conceal Kathleen O'Brien Doyle's body. Do we know the range of dates that he was in the Virginia Beach area?

He did conceal his step-daughter's body, but that was a different scenario in that she would have been connected to him immediately if found.

This guy is a complete monster, and was probably capable of just about any sort of murder and post murder activity. I believe that his times in Virginia Beach were probably related to his Naval Reserve Active Duty for Training periods. These would all be recorded in his Naval Reserve Personnel and Pay records. Law Enforcement investigators could obtain his record with a request through the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).

Unfortunately, when dealing with a serial killer who committed murders in different jurisdictions, it may be hard to come up with enough information to get NCIS cooperation in cases where investigators do not already know for certain that he was in their area. In this case, since Dennis Bowman has already been convicted of one particularly violent murder in Virginia Beach - and there are a number of other unsolved, similar murders - the Virginia State Police would probably be in the best position to look into his record.

 

[Richard]

ALLEGAN, Mich. (AP) 7 Feb 2022 — A man serving life sentences in Virginia for raping and killing a woman in 1980 was sentenced Monday to an additional 35 to 50 years in prison in Michigan for the 1989 killing of his 14-year-old daughter.

Dennis Bowman pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in December for the killing of his daughter Aundria Bowman, whose body was found two years ago buried in his backyard in Hamilton, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Grand Rapids. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for the purpose of sentencing...

“His numerous assaults, his behavior in this case, other convictions all indicate Mr. Bowman is a serious, dangerous man that has harmed many communities, many families,” Allegan County Circuit Court Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker said during Monday’s sentencing, which Bowman attended in-person. “It’s impossible to even articulate the words to describe what he has done. Reading what he has done is sickening.”
Aundria Bowman was last seen in March 1989. Her body was discovered in February 2020 under a concrete slab in the backyard of Bowman’s Hamilton home after he confessed to her killing.

Bowman told police he pushed the teen downstairs, killing her, after she threatened to report that he had molested her. He called police that day to report that his daughter had stolen $100 from him and his wife, and had run away from home....

Bowman told police that he used an axe to cut off Aundria’s legs so that her body would fit in a barrel. He said he buried the barrel at the family’s Holland-area home at the time and then reburied it at their new home in Hamilton after they moved.

Bowman is serving two life sentences for the 1980 rape and murder of Kathleen Doyle in Norfolk, Virginia. She was the 25-year-old wife of a U.S. Navy pilot when she was killed. Authorities said forensic evidence led to Bowman’s November 2019 arrest in that case, and that after his arrest, he confessed to killing Aundria, whom he and his wife had adopted...

LINK:

Dennis Bowman Sentenced In Michigan For Daughter's 1989 Killing

 

[Richard]

Here is yet another Virginia Beach case. This one from 1989, the same year Aundria Bowman was murdered and buried by Dennis Bowman. Note that this case is handled by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). This young woman, like Dennis Bowman, served in the US Navy.

Charlene Marie Villinger, age 30

Villinger, circa 1989

• Missing Since 09/04/1989
• Missing From Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 09/17/1958 (63)
• Age 30 years old
• Height and Weight 5'6, 156 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A white t-shirt, white pants with blue and red dots, a gold necklace and a gold and diamond cluster wedding ring.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Villinger has a tattoo of a pink panther on her left shoulder blade. Her ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance

Villinger was last seen in Virginia Beach, Virginia on September 4, 1989. After 10:00 p.m., her husband returned to their home in the 900 block of Penhook Court and discovered she was missing.

There were no indications of a struggle, Villinger's car was parked in the driveway, and none of her personal belongings had disappeared. A large quilt with the image of an olive branch and an eagle with its wings spread was missing, however.

Villinger has never been heard from again. She was a student at Tidewater Community College at the time of her disappearance. Few details are available in her case.

Investigating Agency

• Virginia Beach Police Department 757-385-4023
• Naval Criminal Investigative Service 757-462-2488

LINKS:

Charlene Marie Villinger – The Charley Project

VA - VA - Charlene Marie Villinger, 30, Virginia Beach, 4 Sept 1989