Murder of Aundria Bowman

Aundria Michelle Bowman (born Alexis Miranda Badger) (b. June 23, 1974disappeared March 11, 1989) was an American teenager who vanished under mysterious circumstances from her adoptive family's property in Hamilton, Michigan. She was adopted as an infant by Dennis and Brenda Bowman. At 14, she vanished from her family’s rural property, a short time after accusing Dennis Bowman of molesting her.

Aundria Bowman remained a missing person for more than 30 years, and she was classified as a runaway. In November 2019, Dennis Bowman was arrested for the September 1980 murder of Kathleen Doyle in Norfolk, Virginia. He was extradited to Virginia in February 2020 to face charges in Doyle's murder, and in May 2020, was charged with Aundria Bowman's murder.

Aundria Bowman's case has received national media attention, including coverage by Inside Edition and Oxygen. Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter is a two-part Netflix original documentary about her case released on September 12, 2024.

Background Aundria Bowman was born Alexis Miranda Badger on June 23, 1974, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was placed for adoption by her then-17-year-old biological mother, Cathy Terkanian, at 9 months old.

In 1998, Dennis Bowman was arrested for breaking and entering the home of a coworker in Ottawa County to steal items, including woman's lingerie.

Later developments Arrest of Dennis Bowman Aundria's adoptive father, Dennis Bowman, was arrested in November 2019 for the unsolved homicide of 25-year-old Kathleen Doyle in Norfolk, Virginia, which occurred on September 11, 1980. During this time, Bowman had been in the midst of the court proceedings for his attempted assault of a young woman, though he was unable to attend court hearings for a two-week period in September 1980, claiming he was a member of the United States Navy Reserve and was required to attend a two-week drill. Several days later, it was announced that skeletal remains had been recovered from the 3200 block of 136th Avenue of Monterey Township (near Bowman's home) in Allegan County, concealed by a thin layer of cement.

It was subsequently confirmed via DNA that the remains were in fact Aundria Bowman. On May 15, 2020, Dennis Bowman was charged with the murder of Aundria. Police stated that he confessed to striking Aundria, causing her to die of a resulting head injury, and then dismembered her body with an axe and machete.

Bowman pleaded guilty to both charges in June. He was sentenced to two life sentences for killing Doyle. On December 22, 2021, Bowman pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Aundria in Allegan County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to an additional 35–50 years in prison for Aundria Bowman's murder.

Dennis Lee Bowman is currently imprisoned in the Buckingham Correctional Center.

In the media Aundria Bowman's case has received national media attention, including coverage by Inside Edition and Oxygen.