A Kaufman County man was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday after a Lamar County Jury found him guilty of murder.
On Mar. 1, 2023, employees at Daisy Farms found the victim deceased inside his vehicle, and law enforcement discovered he suffered two gunshot wounds to the head.
David Brandon Bowlby, 58, who has an extensive criminal record including serving 20-years of a 99-year sentence for murdering his mother and dumping her body in Louisiana in 1984, elected for the court to assess punishment.
During the trial, the jury heard from several witnesses, including two detectives from the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives learned from the victim’s friends and family that he was attempting to purchase gold in a deal arranged by Bowlby. Detectives interviewed Bowlby in Kaufman County and he denied knowing where Paris was located and denied being in contact with the victim on the day of the shooting.
Using cameras and cell phone records, detectives were able to place the defendant in Lamar County on the afternoon of Mar. 1. Cameras also showed the victim’s truck following close behind the defendant’s truck headed north on Highway 24 in the direction of the eventual crime scene shortly before the murder. Records showed that Bowlby and the victim communicated several times on March 1st, including shortly before the victim’s body was found. Detectives then learned that Bowlby’s truck had decals advertising his business, located in Terrell, Texas, and a phone number just days before March 1st. However, those decals were no longer on the truck on March 1st, but were then replaced within a few days, this time with a different phone number. It was discovered that Bowlby changed his phone number on March 2nd.
Bowlby elected for the court to assess punishment. Judge Tidwell heard about Bowlby’s criminal history during the punishment phase of trial. In 1984, in a case out of Rockwall County, Bowlby was sentenced to 99 years in prison after killing his mother and dumping her body in Louisiana before being apprehended and confessing to that murder. Bowlby was also convicted of an escape charge in Kaufman County in 1990.
Judge Wes Tidwell of the 6th District Court then sentenced Bowlby to life in prison.
“I commend the jury for their hard work this week. I also want to relay to them how appreciative the victim’s family was for the jury’s service. This case involved many pieces to a puzzle and the civilian witnesses, DNA analysts, medical examiner, and especially law enforcement personnel were able to put those pieces together and show the jury that David Bowlby was responsible for orchestrating this murder,” said Assistant DA Nick Stallings.
Lamar County District Attorney Gary Young said, “Bowlby lured the victim to Lamar County and to what he thought would be an isolated area in order to set up this heinous act. I thank the jury for their hard work and helping to make sure Lamar County and other communities in Texas are safer by taking the defendant off the street. I also want to thank Josh Crawford and Glen Briggle of the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Ranger Stacy McNeal for their great work that allowed us to bring this monster to justice.”
The case was tried in the 6th District Court before Judge Wes Tidwell. Bowlby was prosecuted by Gary Young and Nick Stallings; he was represented by Heath Hyde of Sulphur Springs.
