The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A POLICE officer yesterday described the bloody scene inside pregnant teacher Marisha Bowen's apartment the morning he and other officers discovered her lifeless, naked body lying in a pool of blood in a bedroom almost two years ago.

Detective Corporal Javod Frazer testified how he observed blood on walls, the floor and miscellaneous items in the Guyanese woman's Red Sea Road apartment before ultimately finding her "lifeless" and "nude" body lying in a "large accumulation" of blood in her bed on September 9, 2016.

And that discovery came days before he said he personally observed an embryo while attending the autopsy of the former schoolteacher being conducted by pathologist Dr Caryn Sands.

The revelations came during Alister Williams' trial before Justice Carolita Bethel over Bowen's murder.

Police said Bowen, who taught at CW Saunders Baptist School, was found shortly after 8am on the Friday in question in her apartment by other tenants of a complex on Read Sea Road, off Sumner Street. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

She had injuries to her neck and upper body.

Williams is charged with murder, robbery and receiving in connection with the incident. Concerning the robbery charge, it is alleged Williams also robbed Bowen of two cellphones and an iPod.

According to Det Cpl Frazer, around 9.15am he arrived at Red Sea Road along with Detective Sergeant Gardell Rolle based on information they had received.

Det Cpl Frazer said he eventually arrived at the apartment complex and made his way to apartment three, which was located on the first floor.

Upon entering the apartment, Det Cpl Frazer said he observed what he thought were blood stains on a shower cap and a brown stocking cap on the floor of the kitchen.

He also said he noticed two separate patterns of stains and a purple and white towel with blood stains on the floor of the apartment's southeastern bedroom.

Det Cpl Frazer said he then discovered the lifeless, nude body of a woman lying on her back on the bed in the bedroom, with her head pointed east and her feet pointed north.

He said she was lying in a pool of blood on a white and purple fitted sheet on the bed. Two pillows with white and purple pillowcases, as well as a white and purple sheet were also seen to have blood on them, the officer said.

Det Cpl Frazer said the woman had what appeared to be a yellow dress with suspected blood covering her face, as well as a black cloth belt wrapped around her neck. He said he noticed visible injuries to the woman's neck and chin and also a grey towel with blood stains in the area of her right arm.

He said the body was examined by Det Sgt Rolle, after which he placed two brown, evidence paper bags on each of her hands. She was subsequently placed in a body bag.

Another officer then directed him to the eastern part of the backyard where he was shown a green towel hanging on a fence bordering the eastern part of the yard. Det Cpl Frazer said the towel was photographed by Det Sgt Rolle and subsequently collected for evidential purposes.

Det Cpl Frazer said he was then directed to western sidewalk in front of the apartment complex and shown a pattern of suspected blood before being given certain instructions. He said the blood patterns were taken before swabs were taken and packaged.

Around 10.45am on September 14, 2016, Det Cpl Frazer said he visited the Rand Lab at the Princess Margaret Hospital where he spoke with Dr Sands who gave him certain information and showed him Bowen's body.

At the time, Det Cpl Frazer said he noticed the black, cloth belt was still tied around her neck, and that she had sustained multiple injuries to her neck and chin, both eyelids, the insides of both her upper and lower lips, as well as injuries to the right side of her upper back and rear of her upper right arm.

As a result of the information he received from Dr Sands, Det Cpl Frazer said he took facial pictures of the deceased which also captured her injuries.

The officer said Dr Sands then proceeded to conduct the autopsy in his presence. He said she pointed out injuries to the left and right sides of Ms Bowen's skull, and also pointed out an embryo, which he also photographed.

Det Cpl Frazer said Dr Sands also collected several exhibits and upon completion gave him one postmortem kit, a sexual assault evidence kit bearing the name Marisha Bowen. Those items were ultimately turned over to the relevant officials for analysis, Det Cpl Frazer said.

He said the pictures he took on September 14 were downloaded and placed on a compact disc, and were later enlarged at a local photography studio in his presence.

Det Sgt Rolle, taking the stand shortly after his colleague, gave testimony that supplemented that of Det Cpl Frazer.

Yesterday also saw brief testimony from Bowen's sister, Michelena Broomes, who said the last time she spoke with her sister was on September 7, 2016, two days before Ms Bowen's death.

The trial continues.