Jury finds Bowman guilty of murder in cold case - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Jury finds Bowman guilty of murder in cold case

The verdict is in.

On Friday the jury in the re-trial of Toledo's oldest cold case found Robert Bowman guilty of first degree murder.

Judge Gene Zmuda sentenced the 75-year-old to life in prison after Bowman was convicted in the 1967 kidnapping, rape, and murder of 14-year-old Eileen Adams.

Before the sentencing Bowman told the courtroom, filled with family of Adams, that he is not responsible for their suffering, has no remorse and every day of his life is a pleasure.

"I recognize the pain and the suffering that I've just heard from the family of Eileen Adams. I am not responsible for that," says Bowman. " I feel no remorse. I have no reason to feel remorse. I would like to let them feel that they should have satisfaction that I'm being punished but I can adjust to any situation. And if I spend the remainder of my life in the penitentiary it'll be no different than the three years I did in the monkey house here. I will adjust to that. Every day of my life is a pleasure. I have nothing more to say."

The judge then sentenced Bowman to life in prison. Judge Zmuda told Bowman the telling moment for him was when Bowman was asked during the trial a simple question: when did Bowman get married?

"Your answer was, 'When was the girl killed?'" says Judge Zmuda. "What does that mean? You know what it means. It means you did it.  You did it because that's your point of reference. You have no other reason to have that point of reference other than the fact that 'X number of months prior to her murder is when I married Marge.'"

Adams family was in the courtroom and cried as Bowman's fate was sealed.

"We'd like to thank everyone involved," says Al Adams, Eileen's brother who was 19 years old when she died. "The courts, Judge Zmuda, definitely the jury. They did their job in bringing Bowman to conviction. It has been so long and I think all of us have emotions. Having to relive this whole thing over and over and over is unreal. I'm happy that it's over. Tomorrow morning when I wake up, I start a new life. I think all of my sisters are starting new lives as well."

Eileen's sister Maggie Kirschman was eight years old when Eileen disappeared. In court on Friday she read a six page letter to the judge calling Bowman a sick animal who caused her family a lifetime of pain.

"Robert Bowman chose to abduct our sister, Eileen. Robert Bowman chose to rape and molest her. Robert Bowman chose to kill Eileen and throw her body away like she was nothing more than trash," says Kirschman. "My family sincerely pleads with this court to punish Bowman to the fullest extent possible for his choices. We hope that the next time we hear the name 'Robert Bowman' will be after he has died in prison - a pathetic, toothless old man who is all alone, without even his pet rats for company."

"I always felt this day would come. I just didn't know when or how," says Pete Navarre, who worked for the Monroe County Sheriff's Department back in 1967 when Eileen Adams disappeared on her way home from school.

Navarre was one of the first to find the girl's body 43 days later, bound with a nail in the back of her head in a field just over the Michigan border.

"I saw what I learned to be a very innocent little girl who must've gone through a horrible, horrible time and a horrible death," says Navarre.

Navarre was consumed and haunted with the case for more than four decades, from the beginning to the end. He was one of the detectives who traveled to Florida in 1982 to interview Bowman once Bowman's ex-wife came forward saying bowman had killed Adams.

"Not only did I live this, my family did, too," says Navarre. "I have two daughters that said, 'You're obsessed, Dad.' But they were my biggest fans. They're very supportive. My phone is ringing now!"

"I think it's long overdue," says Jill Mickel, a childhood friend of Eileen Adams.

The girls were in the same class from first through eighth grades. Through both trials Mickel only missed one day in court. She hopes with Friday's guilty verdict of Bowman, Adams can now rest in peace.

"Eileen can now be buried," says Mickel. "She's not buried. I know there's not closure, but there's definitely vindication. Justice was served."