Grand jury convenes today, expected to hear killing case

Published 12:06 pm Monday, January 24, 2011

The case of an 18-year-old Warren County man accused of shooting his mother’s live-in boyfriend could result in a criminal indictment this week, as the grand jury is convened to review evidence in felony cases.

Jeremy Blake Bowlin, 18, 3400 U.S. 80, Lot 4, was arrested Jan. 6 and charged with killing 25-year-old Timothy Wayne Harmon at the trailer they shared with Bowlin’s mother, Christine Bowlin, 37.

District Attorney Ricky Smith said police were continuing to work late last week to prepare the case against Bowlin, who is being held in the Warren County Jail without bond because he was already under indictment for grand larceny and burglary charges dating to last February when the killing occurred.

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If Bowlin is formally charged with murder, he faces a possible life in prison sentence.

Jurors could also decide Bowlin acted in self-defense or charge him with manslaughter, Smith said.

The panel of 18 jurors was selected this morning from a pool of Warren County residents selected at random from voter rolls.

Circuit Judge Isadore Patrick is presiding.

Smith said about 85 cases will be presented to this grand jury. They include aggravated assault, drug charges and home and auto burglaries, he said.

Most of the property cases the grand jury will review involve young defendants, the DA said.

“The vast majority of arrests for home burglary and especially auto burglary have been of teenage suspects,” Smith said. “These individuals are going to have to suffer the consequences of their actions. The public needs to know that their homes and their cars are secure.”

The list also is expected to include the arson case against Johnny Ray Galey, 54, who was arrested in July following a blaze at his home at 9960 U.S. 61 South.

Galey was in Florida when the fire occurred, but what authorities called the “suspicious origin” of the fire and the absence of some of his personal belongings in the home led to Galey’s arrest.

Other cases Smith said could be presented this week include that of Thomas Gerhold, who was charged in November with two counts of child molestation, and Christopher Marcel Johnson, arrested for the Sept. 24 armed robbery of the Trustmark Bank branch on Mission 66.

Jurors also might issue secret indictments against defendants not yet arrested for crimes on which authorities have collected evidence.

The grand jury meets in closed session and reviews evidence against defendants in criminal cases presented by Smith and law enforcement officials from the city and county. Jurors issue indictments in cases where the evidence is sufficient to go to trial, and defendants are then arraigned in open court, a trial date is set and a defense attorney appointed if necessary.

Patrick is expected to begin arraignments Thursday and continue Friday and possibly into next week. Indictments usually are not made public until after a defendant is arraigned.

Cases not resulting in indictments are no-billed.

Grand jurors also tour the Warren County Jail, visit the Warren County Children’s Shelter and Youth Court, meet with city and county law enforcement and justice officials and issue a written report with recommendations.

The Warren County grand jury meets four times a year, and later in 2011 will be convened May 2, July 25 and Oct. 31.