Tulsa Police Trying To Unravel Mystery of Murdered Woman's Car

Thursday, September 9th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa police find a major clue in a high profile homicide investigation and they believe a series of recent events could be linked to the case. It began Thursday morning when police found the car belonging to 77-year-old Mary Bowles who was found dead on Tuesday.

Police say she disappeared the same day a dump truck driver was shot in the head. Police also say that shooting happened just six blocks from where Bowles' body was found. And police are considering whether a man involved in a standoff Thursday in Muskogee may know something both cases.

Thursday at 4:30 am, a police detective spotted Bowles car at the Oasis Motel in east Tulsa. Officers staked it out and confiscated the car but made no arrests. They say this was a major break for them because police say the car maybe the key to solving the case. Officers say they did find evidence inside the car that brought them one step closer to a solution. However, they won't say what that evidence is; only that it isn't Bowles purse or its contents inside. Police are still searching for the purse.
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The motel manager says the car showed up a couple of days after Bowles' disappearance. Police say the pieces of the puzzle are coming together and they're close to making an arrest. "I would have been at about a three yesterday," said Sgt. Wayne Allen. "I'm at about an eight and a half today. Hopefully on Friday, we'll be somewhere around a ten."

Tulsa Police also say there may be another connection to this case. A shooting occurred around 6:15 PM the same day Bowles was reported missing. 44-year-old Jerald Thurman was shot in the head and had multiple gunshot wounds to his body. "We know that he was shot within a time frame that could be significant in relating to when Miss Bowles body was placed where it was," said Allen.

Two suspects in Wednesday's robbery of the Tulsa Federal Employees Credit Union were arrested in Muskogee. Police say they too could be connected to Bowles' death.