Skeletal remains identified as missing woman; husband faces murder charge

PEARL RIVER COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Human skeletal remains found on a Pearl River County property last week have now been positively identified as belonging to Kathleen Bowman. It also means her disappearance is now a murder case.

Pearl River County Deputy Coroner Albert Lee said they still haven't determined exactly when or how the 61-year-old woman died. Investigators believe Bowman's husband is tied to her death. Because of this new information, they upgraded the arrest warrant for Charles Bowman to first-degree murder.

The remains were found on the couple's property on Owl Hoot Road. No one has seen Mr. Bowman since his wife went missing.

Kathleen Bowman's remains were discovered after the sheriff's department received a call from concerned family members saying they had not heard from her since Mother's Day. Deputies went to the home on Owl Hoot Road to do a welfare check, but only found her husband there. They returned later with a search warrant for the home, and Charles Bowman was gone.

An official cause of death has not been determined because of the condition of the remains. More extensive testing will have to be done.

Deputies say they believe they have a motive, but that information will not be released until Bowman is located. Investigators said the Bowmans own a white 2006 Nissan Maxima with a handicapped Mississippi tag.

If you have any information on this investigation, you're asked to call the sheriff's department at (601) 798-5528.

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