A Student of Murder | Full Episode

It was the early afternoon of August 31, 2012. As Nancy Knoll left work and headed home, she began driving her old, battered Subaru down Interstate 5. At some point, P encountered a man in a BMW and had no way of knowing he was going to be dead. in 10 minutes Nancy Noah was just a guy who lived in North Seattle he had a girlfriend and a dog he liked to climb mountains he was one of us when we prosecute

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cases as long as we have the random nature of death is what gets into your head, he was my best friend for 22 years, he was my touchstone, he was the guy who kept me grounded, people adored him, the last moments of Yancey Knowles' life stopped at a traffic light, The BMW stopped next to Yancey's Subaru.

Yancey turned around and saw this car and this man next to him saw the gun pointed at his head and saw the bullet that broke the window and shattered his face and then he turned around and was shot three more times in the head the witnesses really didn't. They knew what had happened, they heard the gunshots and then they saw the BMW enter oncoming traffic, screeching, leaving tire marks going so fast that when the car hit a hill it took a breath and then sped away out of sight. when I arrived at the crime scene that day.

It was getting dark They had yellow crime scene tape around Yancey Knowles Subaru There was blood outside the driver's door The driver's seat was saturated with blood When police respond to a

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They are looking for a reason Was anyone mad at Yancey? Did Yancey have enemies? there could have been some kind of road incident some kind of traffic incident and what are people thinking? there's a murderer on the loose there was a murderer on the loose it's Target didn't know they were looking for a murder

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someone to kill just to kill I'm Peter Van Sant tonight in 48 hours Murder

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this case is about the presence of evil in our world it was like a bomb dropped none of us are safe any of us could have been Nancy Knoll prosecutors Adrian McCoy and Christian Richardson say the 2012 murder of Yancey Knoll, shot to death in his car while detained in a red light, made the city of Seattle nervous, the police did everything they could and they took it very seriously.

Police are still searching for suspect Nancy. Noel was shot and killed a week ago, tonight, right now the shooter is on the loose how big the story was, this was a big story. Allison Grandy is a reporter for Cairo 7, a CBS News affiliate, we have shootings in Seattle, we don't. there are necessarily a lot of shootings in that area of ​​Seattle at that time of day and that type of victim, what were you listening to? Did Yancey Knoll have enemies for talking to her friends? Anthony had no enemies, he was an outdoorsy guy who enjoyed good wine.

I loved what he did working as a wine manager at QFC. Hello what is your name? Nancy, Yancey Knoll, 42, was a kind-hearted, happy-go-lucky guy. Oh yeah, and her friends say the idea of ​​Yancey breaking out into a road rage battle is ridiculous. He drove like a grandma, he was very careful, his old friend Brad Kenny, he had a Subaru truck that wasn't known for its speed, he was an angry man, no, he was impulsive, no, reckless, he was never verbally abusive, God, not even close. He was very careful and attentive. With the way she interacted with people, investigators suspect Yancey and her killer crossed paths around 7 p.m. on Interstate 5, just north of Seattle, it's possible that there was some kind of confrontation and Yancey stopped at the intersection without thinking anything, do you think he ever knew what?

It never hit him, he was killed instantly, thank God, he had no idea what happened, the details of this shooting were curious to say the least, five shots were fired right here with remarkable accuracy, it was around this time of the year. day and the shooter killed Yancey Knoll just a few meters from other drivers I heard five rapid shots, they are like a pop pop. Friends Kevin Watts and Angelo Rama were driving together when they heard those five gunshots behind them. The next thing they saw was a car speeding away and getting closer. The traffic passed and I thought it was a little strange that someone wouldn't wait for a red light, upset because the driver had run the red light.

The two friends stepped on the gas and gave it to Chase. We couldn't catch up with them. How fast was that one? vehicle left here from zero to sixteen about two three seconds when it left, abandoned the chase and returned to the scene where a Subaru was still on the sidewalk with the engine running? The friends had the feeling that those pops they had heard were probably gunshots. I saw a lot of blood. I saw where the bullet holes were and realized there was just absolutely nothing I could do. The shooter's bullets had hit Yancey four times in the head.

The case was about to consume detectives Frank Clark. and Dana Duffy for the next two years Beancy had no criminal record or exaltation record, we really didn't have much to go on after closely inspecting the crime scene, detectives realized that Yancey's window was rolled down and that the shooter had shot those five. shots directly through the passenger side window, that is very strange to me, the shooter would shoot through the passenger side window of his car at another person, have you ever heard of something like that? No, it was strange for us too, it was a huge piece.

From evidence, police now knew that the shooter's car had a broken passenger side window and there was more, although witness Angelo Rama had only glimpsed the fleeing car for a split second something registered my first guess was a M4 is a BMW car which I saw was a convertible, it was silver, it had the top up or down, it was down and as it passed I noticed it had really nice silver wheels, armed with its detailed description, the police advised the public to be attentive to that BMW model. with that broken passenger side window as for the driver I looked at the person driving the car because I'm very good with faces Kevin Watch helped a police artist create this remarkably detailed sketch of the shooter in one week the sketch was released to the public along with grainy photos of the car taken by a nearby security camera, we knew that the police in Seattle were looking for a silver BMW and were stopping them all over the city.

Yes, the police were desperate to prevent the killer from striking again. Not knowing if or when he would do it, two weeks passed and then a suspect emerged that surprised everyone when you see something like this from someone who has everything under control. He's not crazy, he's just evil. The police are still searching for him. He was driving a silver BMW 20. During the two weeks following Yancey Noel's brutal execution, cops received hundreds of tips about the dark-haired suspect who drove a silver sports car; it seemed at the time as if everyone in the city of Seattle drove a BMW Z4 or Z3 then, on September 14, a woman calls anonymously for the first time.

This mystery man has a name and she provides Jin Bowman's name and her address, which is less than 10 blocks from the shooting scene when we arrive. a photo of him matched the description in our sketch, his hairstyle matched, yes, and the age description matched, and yet 29-year-old Dan Bowman appears to be the most unlikely of possible suspects. He is a dazzling engineer with an inventive imagination. The golf ball hits the The lever on this vise that powers the drill that spins the wire with this Rube Goldberg contraption that he created swings and hits this water bottle.

The water bottle bottle is a magnetic plunger which people we have spoken to have described it as. brilliant, a genius, others have titled him as a genius who then activates this flamethrower. Bowman was only 12 years old when he entered college when he was 20. Bowman opened his own business, a boutique engineering company called vague industries that specialized in robotics and then, in 2007, Bowman. I met Jennifer Palm, a successful dentist at an educational seminar. They married a year later. I thought they were what I considered a power couple. Very, very sophisticated. Justin Mata was a friend of the Bowmans.

What would you like a couple to be, loving each other? I think they understood each other, but it was up to Detectives Duffy and Clark to uncover Din Bowman and they quickly learned that he had owned a BMW. We wanted to know if he still has that BMW. He is still at his house and we immediately reach out. with a plan that we are going to set up surveillance on his residence, surveillance, surveillance with no sign of the BMW coming or going, but then the garage door opens just enough for the detectives to see a silver sports car based on With that information we were able to obtain a search warrant before dawn on September 21, 2012, as Den and Jennifer were leaving for work, the police swooped in to arrest him in Bowman.

Din was handcuffed and transported to our office, but you know this police facility and everything is being recorded, well I'll just let you know that Bowman has to wait two hours for the detectives to arrive to question him while he kills time. Bowman doesn't seem worried, he enjoys some snacks and a cup of coffee. Bowman whines exasperatedly. His precious time is being wasted, could you understand? Yes, sir, yes, uh, I'm getting a little annoyed at how long this is taking. Do I need to like it? Sorry, just take as long as it takes. Okay, he was pretty confused.

This was all a bit strange. Bowman also did not realize that in another room his wife Jennifer had agreed to answer Detectives Clark and Duffy's questions. Have you heard of any murders that occurred within a few blocks of your house in the last few weeks? I'm not sure if you're not sure it's a yes or no question. I'm not sure we'd call it an I'm not sure interview. Surely because his responses were overwhelming. I'm not sure, so your honesty right now Jennifer didn't. He didn't know that detectives had already inspected Din's BMW and discovered from these marks that the passenger side window had been replaced.

Remember that investigators were sure the killer had shot through that glass. The first thing we did was open the passenger door and you could see the glass. fragments in the door jamb well also inside the garage there was a fresh smell of paint. The W's wheels had been painted black. What's with the paint smell we're smelling there? I'm not sure I know anything about what happens in your house for almost four hours bleeding all over the damn streets of Seattle. Well, investigators beat Jennifer up to get answers and I'm tired of you sitting there acting dumb.

Well, the interview continued. Investigators entered Bowman's home, which was surprisingly empty. We knew it. Jennifer was the main breadwinner in that house and we knew from some of our search warrants that she probably made 250,000 a year, but when we got to the house she barely had any bedroom furniture, her mattress was lying on the floor. floor as they went to the room. Investigators in the room discovered a small arsenal of weapons and ammunition, all except the suspected crime weapon, a nine-millimeter Glock. When the detectives finally reached Bowman, they expected him to answer some questions, but Bowman was smart enough to close the interview.

Do you want to talk to him? a lawyer do you want to talk to us first well I guess I would like to talk to a lawyer Bowman could have finished with the detectives but they were far from finished with him, they will charge you with a crime of what murder. of what, of whom, the murder of a human being, okay, it was extraordinary to see at least 45 friends of murder victim Yancey Knoll, fill the arraignment court this morning to see this man, you see this man walk in and you see this unassuming person and why why would you do this?

Bowman has been held for four months for the murder of Yancey Noel and at this hearing Bowman learns that his bail is set at a staggering $10 million, a sum he cannot afford and has not proven. any sign of guilt or even fear Brad Kenny is desperate for answers, he just feels he was so angry while Bowman appears stoic in court prosecutors say the alleged killer has a peculiar side that emerges in hundreds of recorded jailhouse phone calls with his wife Jennifer. they had pet names Den was bunny and Mrs. Bowman Jennifer was bunny snuggled and snuggled Bunny and snuggled when they talk to each other they talk in baby talk bunny honey how are you? my little Sparkle cake.

I just wrote you an email, yes, it's very strange, very strange. I miss so many things inthis moment I know I don't have hugs you don't have a hug by your side everyone warned us don't listen to the jail calls don't listen to the jail calls you'll want to throw up on mom Meanwhile, back between adult detectives Frank Clark and Dana Duffy, who were methodically building their murder case against Bowman, discovered that for years the tech-savvy genius had been downloading these books, articles and videos to his computer on the subject of death. and the murder is not that he only had a little, he had tons and then there was Bowman's obsession with this man, Bond, James Bond, and it was shown on Bowman's computer videos that it is Din Bowman driving a car at high speeds in an obstacle course. and here he is shooting in shooting demonstrations where he demonstrated that he was an expert shooter with both hands.

I don't think Dan Bowman woke up that morning thinking that today is the day I'm going to shoot someone. This situation presented itself somehow, but once it did, all of your self-training and research kicked in, let's talk about shooting through glass and one of Bowman's videos made by a firearms expert It really surprised the police. I have reached a situation where I feel threatened by someone outside. for my passenger side it was a play by play of the Yancey murder of course I recognize that I lower, grab, parallel cross, reach out, touch, press if you want to know how to shoot someone in traffic from your luxury sports car, it was a terrible experience.

Useful video, he didn't even have to roll down the window. Prosecutors came to believe that Bowman wanted to kill someone just for the thrill of it, why would he commit this murder in broad daylight, where there are witnesses around who could see his car , maybe see it, what's the fun if there is no challenge, if there are no witnesses? If there's no need to pull away to speed up and fly down the neighborhood streets and hide his car in the garage, that was the fun for him Shortly after the murder, police say Bowman went to his computer where he had his vast library of information related to the murder. books including arrest prove yourself how to cover up a murder how to dispose of a gun how to dispose of gunshot residue and the police say bowman now had an accomplice jennifer bowman aka snuggles do you understand how serious this is?

Jennifer Jennifer seemed very very nervous to me tell us the truth bad eye contact I could see she was shaking tell me the truth at this moment Jennifer never asked for a lawyer and handed over her purse where the police found receipts that helped in the investigation do any of you think that Jennifer had prior knowledge of this attack. I don't think she had any prior knowledge, but I think at some point Den told her what happened. She had to know something because the next day she went to Portland with him to an auto glass store where, according to police.

Bowman began to cover up his crime his wife at his side she was very distant she didn't say much repairman Jeff Shields just looked like he needed a window right away Bowman told Shields that a thief had smashed the window of the BMW while he and Jennifer were eating at Portland What time of day did the window break? We found her in the afternoon. About what time was just after lunch, but detectives say a restaurant receipt from Jennifer's purse told a different story. They were never there for lunch. Were. There, at dinnertime three weeks later, the Bowmans visited a tire store in north Seattle.

Manager Doug Haskett says Bowman used the name Peter while his wife avoided eye contact. She was blonde and she just looked at the ground. She didn't really talk. Anyone Bowman bought four cheaper tires to replace the expensive BMW tires, why would he buy new tires? Because during our investigation, the media published that there were tire tracks left at the scene, why did they get new tires? That's where the others wore out. I'm not sure if we gave you a polygraph test today, you'd feel like a sack of potatoes. I mean, I can tell your lion just by looking at you.

Police say they later found a set of expensive, practically new BMW tires inside Bowman's. workshop at Vague Industries the murder weapon was never recovered, but prosecutors felt they had enough evidence to try Den Bowman for first degree murder and he would soon take the stand and tell a story he had long kept secret if he didn't do something at that moment. I was going to die foreigner, what do we have here, Peter? We're at the Seattle Police Department's evidence warehouse. Two vehicles side by side, once again, just as they were that summer afternoon in August 2012. This is Dan Bowman's BMW Roadster Z4. and Yancey Knowles Subaru what brought them together is not clear the results of their meeting is not what goes through your mind when you look inside this car sadness Devastation for Yancey this family lost a loving member the murder is very ugly, it is never pretty and now on November 19 2014, two years after Yancey Knoll was savagely shot to death, his alleged killer enters the courtroom to face the charge of first degree murder, please rise, court is in session at the At the time of the trial, he appeared to be 13 years old.

Dean Bowman is transformed and gone. He is the arrogant and confident young man who first met the detectives. Do you want to talk to a lawyer? Do you want to talk to us first? Well, I guess I'd like to talk to a lawyer and in my place is what appears to be a clean man. College student cut, this guy doesn't look like a murderer and that's not at all unusual for defendants to change his appearance to appeal to the jury. Bowman's mother, a native of Vietnam, and his father, a Boeing engineer, are in court every day to support. his only son, but his cooing wife Jennifer, his hugs are nowhere to be seen, we are ready to begin opening statements.

Prosecutor Adrian McCoy tells the jury that the motive for the murder was not greed or jealousy - this was the fulfillment of a quest - but something much more macabre. a quest to find out what it would be like to kill someone McCoy attempts to take the jury inside Bowman's mind by showing these training videos recovered from his computer. We're going to talk about shooting through glass from videos to thousands of pages of research on killing. Another person prosecutors paid a portrait of a premeditated murder was the Library of Congress's equivalent of death. Have you ever seen anything like this in your career?

Not even close to why all that stuff was on his computer. He hoarded information. He had a lot of information. things on his computer that are totally strange having possession of them means nothing Mr. Bowman was actually trying to create a library of basically everything. Bowman's attorney, prominent defense attorney John Henry Brown, whose former clients include serial killer Ted Bundy, says there is no evidence that Bowman ever read or viewed any of these materials; It was thousands, if not hundreds, of thousands of pages about engineering techniques, but there was also all this strange stuff that prosecutors used to justify his motive while the defense presents his case.

Brown takes a big gamble, you swear to our company for the penalty that puts Din Bowman on the stand. I felt like it was just a crazy bad dream and I was right, like I was running from a monster and Brown knows he's risking everything for Bowman's ability to influence the jurors and convince them that he was a victim of road rage, if I didn't do something right then I was going to die. Bowman explains that it all started when he accidentally cut off Yancy Knoll on the interstate, there was some sort of undercurrent of Cursing, I think the line that caught my attention was "You better learn to drive that fancy card boy or you'll get a CNC." He followed him off the interstate to this traffic light where they both stopped and that's when he was framed, yes what Wham Bowman says was a bottle of wine thrown by Yancey that hit him in the head, he's an absolute liar, that It's sacrilege to Yancey, he would never throw or waste wine on someone like that.

I remember seeing his eyes really bulging and like it was like he was screaming. He would describe it as a violent hatred that he had only seen in movies. Did you think it was possibly a gun? Yes Yes. He was afraid, fearing for his life. Bowman says he got the nine out of him. The millimeter Glock was pointed at Yancey and fired. Did you shoot intentionally? Yes, was it his intention to kill you? No, road rage is not, by definition, premeditation, and Bowman says he shot Yancy Knoll in self-defense. I remember opening my eyes and seeing that he had the gun in my hand and I just dropped the gun and hit the gas, even though Bowman claims he was the victim, he didn't call the police, he panicked.

Bowman says he collected evidence from his car, including the wine bottle and the gun, and threw it all away. From the evidence that would support his own story, this is a guy whose genius has a very good IQ, but yeah, but a lot of geniuses I know don't have much common sense. He discarded evidence he could show the police to prove. You weren't a criminal, were you, I didn't think they'd believe me, but prosecutor Kristen Richardson doesn't believe a word of Bowman's story. You don't think most husbands would go home to their wives and say, Oh my God, almost!

They killed him. I thought the more I talked, the worse it would be for him. You are an expert marksman. What was your goal? There was no marksmanship involved in this. Well, you did a pretty good job, didn't you? I hit him four times on the head, including the temple, right, that surprised me for three days. Richardson hits Bowman, he lied to his parents, he lied to his wife, right? That's a question, but he never loses his composure, Mr. Roman, he has no problems. answering yes or no to Mr. Brown, is there a problem with the way I ask you questions? foreign question okay, well that's the first no I think I've gotten from you, so I guess the point is made.

I have nothing else, thank you. he resigned, since Bowman did not resign. The question is whether he convinced the jury that he killed Yancey Noel to save her life, but I think Jim deeply believed that the jury would see self-defense as justifiable homicide or just emotion. he is guilty of first degree murder yeah I will never forget Nancy every time he walks this trail Brad Kenny thinks about his friend Yancy Knoll I really miss him it will never end and I will always miss him I mean it's good to be here but it's um, It's really difficult, isn't it?

Bowman's murder trial is coming to a close. He has not shown even an iota of remorse. He's just completely stoic. I think we are ready for juries on December 9, 2014, more than two years later. The murder of Yancey Knowles and, coincidentally, Din Bowman's 32nd birthday, jurors begin to deliberate. It's the worst part of the job waiting for a verdict, but that's the nature of it. You always doubt yourself. One person who doesn't doubt himself is Den Bowman, as he confides in his wife Jennifer. phone calls recorded in jail, we should punish him, it's his if it takes longer than tomorrow.

Jennifer hasn't shown up for a single day of Bowman's trial, but she stays in constant contact and has no doubt of her innocence to believe anything. Sea City, please, on the third day. the jury returns I understand that the jury has reached a verdict I will read the verdict form we the jury finds the defendant Thomas Ben Bowman guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree he is accused guilty the jury did not buy Den Bowman admits that he killed Noel, but says first-degree murder required premeditation. It's a total surprise to Bowman, but a huge relief to Yancey's girlfriend and her fans.

The verdict is read. What was that moment like? Well, he was so emotionally upset that he said: I can't believe it. I don't believe it, I can't believe it, looking different, Den Bowman is back in court to sentence. Mr. Bowman made some bad decisions. The once arrogant genius, Genius, is gone as the reality of the guilty verdict sinks in and his parents step forward to plead with him. judge for clemency I know this is my fault defense attorney Brown must finish reading her statement our son's actions are our fault my husband and I provided him and allowed him to learn how to use a gun for self protection brown an experienced trial attorney cannot avoid it Show emotion when Din's mother asks the judge to send her to prison instead of her only son.

Please ask about me to replace any punishment by placing me in the role of Din. It was heartbreaking to see his mother at the sentencing so that she would offer herself in her place. place to deliver her punishment for him, that's real moments later, it's Bowman's turn, damn, can you talk, but Yancey's girlfriend and her followers refuse to listen? I am disappointed that the Jews did not believe me in the first words that came out of Den's mouth when he confronted them.asked me to make a statement at sentencing it's not about his parents or his heartbroken mother or Yancey's friends or family it's just that I can't believe the jury didn't believe me that's his approach, I don't even have to bear the burden of deciding By faith it's not and I'm sorry for putting myself in that situation and all I can ask as the judge is about to hand down Bowman's sentence is he has something he feels obligated to say.

I am so sorry to his parents, Mr. Bowman, and to me. I want to tell you that it is not his fault that Mr. Bowman is responsible for his own actions. Bowman gets 29 years and one month a little less than the maximum. The case against Bowman is over, but police feel there are unfinished business: Was Jennifer deceitful or dishonest? she lied at any time during this interrogation yes, she was she. I would very much like to be charged with a crime, the crime of helping her husband cover up the murder of Yancey Frank. Would you like to be charged with a crime?

Yes, she would. Jennifer has changed today. Her name and job she answered the door but we located her in Seattle. Hello, Jennifer Peter Van was sitting for 48 hours. Why did she lie to the detectives? Why did she help her husband cover up a murder? She can talk to us. There are no answers, ultimately the state. The lawyer decided not to press charges against Jennifer and she, in turn, cut all ties with the man she once affectionately called her bunny. Today the house where the couple lived is empty. The two cars at the center of this case remain in a police warehouse, but Yancey Noel's memories are still as vivid as ever ready ready have it lol foreigner