Home Crisis Responders Family, FBI Plead for Tips on 1984 Killing of VA State Trooper,...

Family, FBI Plead for Tips on 1984 Killing of VA State Trooper, Reward

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September 25, 2018

Virginia State Trooper Johnny Rush Bowman was brutally stabbed 45 times by an unknown attacker on Aug. 19, 1984, after answering the door at his home in Manassas. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for his murder.

The FBI Washington Field Office, along with the Virginia State Police, Manassas City Police Department, and the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney Prince William County, seek assistance from the public to identify an unknown individual or individuals responsible for the brutal murder of Virginia State Trooper Johnny Rush Bowman in Manassas, Virginia.

On August 19, 1984, at approximately 4:15 a.m., Virginia State Trooper Johnny Rush Bowman was brutally attacked and stabbed 45 times by an unknown assailant(s) while off-duty at his home located near Patterson Place in Manassas, Virginia.

Trooper Bowman, who was unarmed at the time, engaged in a struggle with the individual(s) that awakened his 2-year-old daughter in the home.

Trooper Bowman later succumbed to his injuries.

(Nikki Bowman, daughter of Virginia State Police Trooper Johnny Bowman, who was killed in 1984, is asking the public for information that might help solve her father’s murder. Courtesy of the FBI and YouTube. Posted on Sep 24, 2018.)

“For 34 years, Trooper Johnny Bowman’s daughter, parents, brother, friends, and colleagues have had to endure his loss and not knowing who was responsible for taking his life,” said Captain Greg Kincaid, Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Fairfax Field Office.

“That’s why still today, the Virginia State Police and our partnering agencies remain determined to solve this homicide and bring Johnny’s killer to justice.”

Courtesy of the FBI

To spur new leads in the unsolved murder, the FBI is offering a $50,000 reward, hoping for information that will finally lead to a break in the case.

“Our role is to provide the FBI’s assets and resources to Virginia State Police, Manassas City Police Department, and Prince William County in support of the investigation and task force,” said Special Agent Erin Sheridan of the FBI’s Washington Field Office

Undated family photo of Trooper Johnny Bowman wlth baby daughter Nikki Bowman (wearing costume). Bowman was murdered at his home on August 19, 1984; the case remains unsolved. — Undated photograph of Trooper Johnny Bowman, with his young daughter, Nikki, on his knee.

The case remains open and is the only unsolved killing of a Virginia State Trooper in the commonwealth’s history.

The FBI became involved in the case because the murder is considered a line-of-duty death.

“When state and local law enforcement partners request the FBI’s assistance in the investigation of a felonious police killing or line-of-duty death, we can provide support with evidence collection, victim and witness services, lab capabilities, technical analysis, and further support from specialized units, such as the Behavioral Analysis Unit,” explained Special Agent Sarah Thaden, also with the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Undated portrait of Virginia State Police Trooper Johnny Bowman in uniform with American flag. Bowman was murdered at his home on August 19, 1984; the case remains unsolved.

Investigators have reexamined the evidence in recent years, taking advantage of advances in DNA testing and other forensic technology, but to no avail.

Still, someone knows what happened on that morning in 1984, and investigators are encouraging any individual with information about the case to reach out to authorities.

“This push for information is nationwide,” says First Sergeant Michael B. Elliott with the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“With as much time that has passed, people have potentially moved to other parts of the country.”

“If they have knowledge, I hope they will do the right thing and come forward.”

Nikki Bowman has carried the sadness of losing her father for nearly all of her 36 years.

It is a sadness made heavier by the worry and uncertainty of not knowing who carried out his brutal murder.

As a family member, Nikki Bowman is not part of the investigative team, but stresses that she is “thankful to everybody that’s still pursuing the case and taking time to continue investigating.”

The decades of waiting, however, have not been easy.

“No one has forgotten Trooper Bowman—not his family, his friends, and certainly not law enforcement,” said Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.

“The public is our best weapon in solving this cold case and we are hoping that with the passage of time, and through a significant reward of $50,000, someone with information no matter how small or large will come forward and help us bring closure to the family and justice to Trooper Bowman.”

A detailed story that includes photographs of Trooper Bowman and an interview with his daughter, Nikki Bowman, is available at https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/seeking-info-in-1984-murder-of-virgina-trooper-johnny-bowman-092418

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the violent murder of Johnny Rush Bowman.

Law enforcement agencies are asking anyone with information about this crime to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Virginia State Police at 703-803-2676.

You may also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. All tips can remain anonymous.

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