OKANOGAN, Wash. — A jury found Lance Bowers guilty of murdering his wife, Angela Bowers, in the spring of 2019.
The Okanogan County jury found Bowers guilty on Thursday, April 2022, of first-degree murder, domestic violence, two counts of first-degree assault with firearms enhancements, first-degree reckless burning and a first-degree charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. Bowers' lasted two weeks.
In November 2019, Okanogan County Sheriff’s detectives arrested Bowers in connection with the homicide/arson investigation of Angela's death back on June 3, 2019.
The investigation began back in 2019 after Aeneas Valley Fire District 16 responded to a car fire on Frosty Creek Road in Tonasket. Firefighters found a burned body in the trunk of a car after they put out the fire. The remains were burnt beyond recognition.
During the investigation, deputies contacted Lance, who was 37-years-old at the time, before he pulled a gun and was shot by deputies. Those deputies were later justified in their use of force by the North Central Washington Special Investigations Unit.
Neither deputy was injured during the confrontation. Bowers was airlifted to Central Washington Hospital and was treated and released. He was then booked into Chelan County Regional Jail and later transferred to Okanogan County Jail for first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
After the Okanogan County Coroner’s Office did an autopsy on the burned body found in the car, the results were still inconclusive for the identity. But, the victim was determined to be a woman.
After investigators observed DNA evidence, they were able to identify the victim as Angela M. Bowers. Deputies then learned that Angela was married to Lance and has been listed as a missing person since June 17, 2019.
Bowers was then arrested for first-degree murder and second-degree arson while still in the Okanogan County Jail, where he was held on a $1.5 million bond.
A pre-sentence investigation will be performed prior to Bower sentencing. Bowers' sentencing date is still pending.