Missing For A Week: Retired BOK Senior Vice President Found Dead
Police say Mary Bowles, who has been missing for a week, was kidnapped and murdered. Mary Bowles retired as a senior vice president of Bank of Oklahoma and promised to do something meaningful with her
Wednesday, September 8th 1999, 12:00 am
By: News On 6
Police say Mary Bowles, who has been missing for a week, was kidnapped and murdered. Mary Bowles retired as a senior vice president of Bank of Oklahoma and promised to do something meaningful with her life. She's worked tirelessly in her church for decades. She volunteered at Saint Francis hospital, at the Tulsa Philharmonic and at the Speech and Hearing Clinic. She loved to travel and already had tickets for this year's opera. "I don't know anyone who's done more for others and if there ever was a good Christian, she's it," said friend Frances Blazer.
That's why it's so hard for her friends to believe her life ended in a field. Her body was found by a person out walking in a heavily-wooded area, just north of Tulsa International Airport near 66th street north. Police aren't saying how she died, but their investigation has revealed signs of trauma. They are working the case as a homicide. "If it can happen to Mary Bowles, it can happen to anyone," said Blazer. "She didn't wear jewelry and she always looked nice, but she didn't wear flashy clothes. I just don't know how this could happen."
Police believe Bowles made it home safely last Tuesday after leaving her shift at the hospital. They believe she ran an errand near her home and that's when someone kidnapped her. "With her being missing, it was a horror," said friend Kathryn Lohmeyer. "Now that she's gone, it's just a vacuum."
The reward for Miss Bowles' killer is now $11,000. Her friends are praying that someone comes forward. They just can't imagine why someone would kill her, when she would've gladly handed over whatever she had. "It's just a waste, a senseless waste of a wonderful person," said Lohmeyer.
While they say it's hard to let her go, many of her friends say Green Country's loss is now heaven's gain. If you have any information about Miss Bowles' death or the whereabouts of her car, a beige 1993 Buick LeSabre, you can anonymously call the Crimestoppers tip line at 596-COPS. The First Christian Church at 913 South Boulder will have a prayer service in Miss Bowles' memory Wednesday, September 8th at 6:30 PM.
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