Anita Fox, daughter of the late Sandie Bowen, has expressed her distress at the prospect of her mother’s killer, Michael Bowen, being released from prison again. Bowen was jailed for life in 1998 after killing Sandie, but has been paroled and recalled to custody twice since. The Parole Board said it undertakes “thorough” and “careful” assessments to determine if a prisoner can be safely released. However, Ms Fox believes that Bowen, who was initially considered high risk, should never have been released from prison.
Ms Fox was on her way to Spain to go on her honeymoon in November 2024 when she discovered that Bowen would be released once again. Her mother disappeared in 1997, and her remains tied to a kitchen sink were found in 2017 on the banks of Wentwood Reservoir.
Bowen, who now goes by the name Raymond Bowen, has never admitted to the crime and refused to tell the police where his wife’s body was at the time of his parole. It has come to light that Bowen was considered to be high risk at the time of his initial release in 2015, which led to Ms Fox’s conclusion that he should never have been released from prison.
The notion of Bowen’s release is alarming to Ms Fox, who stated that he “took away my mum, my opportunity to grow old with her and for my grandchildren to meet her,” and that “I’ve never had what I would say is real closure because he’s never, ever admitted to murdering my mum.”
Referencing Bowen’s past behaviour with partners, such as coercive control and monitoring, the parole board has placed special restrictions on Bowen, including the need to disclose new relationships. Additionally, Bowen’s release is subject to heightened monitoring and supervision.
Ms Fox was supported in her activism by Helen’s Law, which was passed to ensure that killers who refuse to reveal the location of their victims’ remains can face longer sentences. It is unclear if Bowen will be brought back to prison again if he continues to refuse to cooperate with law enforcement
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
