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Family of fatally shot WMU student plans telethon to raise money for tip reward

Family members of those killed in unsolved cases are encouraged to attend and bring pictures of their loved ones and share their stories.
Credit: Provided
Joseph Bowser

A Labor Day weekend telethon is planned to raise money and awareness for unsolved Battle Creek murder cases.

Organized in the name of Joseph Bowser who was killed March 23, the money raised will be spent on tips to help police with unresolved cases.

"We want to raise money and awareness," said India Bowser, sister of the Western Michigan University student who was shot and killed in the back yard of River Apartments at 85 Stringham Road.

Battle Creek police have not arrested anyone in connection with the case. Detective Sgt. Todd Elliott said Tuesday detectives don't have a suspect but he said he has confidence the murder will be solved.

Police have said from the beginning of the case that they need help from the public to find the shooter.

India Bowser and Bishop Tino Smith, pastor at Kingdom Builders Worldwide Church at 50 Spencer St., said the telethon at the church will be from 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Labor Day.

Smith said he is using the idea of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Labor Day Telethon which ran from 1966 to 2010. Smith said he is going to adopt Lewis' bow tie and will be using social media to raise funds.

The telethon will be centered at the church and will include games, contests and basketball tournaments featuring players from the Battle Creek area.

Family members of those killed in unsolved cases are encouraged to attend and bring pictures of their loved ones and share their stories.

The goal is to raise $5,000 to augment the $2,000 being offered for tips in the Bowser shooting and also to use the money for tips in other cases.

"We feel that morally, people are not inspired to come forward and tell the truth but maybe $5,000 will help," India Bowser said. "That is the world we live in today."

Major Steve Bush of the Battle Creek Police Department said "anything is good that will help us get information. Anything that we can get.

"Direct knowledge is what is going to be the key to prosecution," he said.

The family of Joseph Bowser, Jr., has tried to keep the case alive with some public marches and by attending a meeting of the Battle Creek City Commission on June 19.

Those attending, including Smith, proposed a city website listing all unsolved murders with any updates and case contacts within the police department.

Bishop Smith said the city has not responded so he is working on a website to list the unsolved cases and is forming the Joseph Bowser II Justice Center for Unsolved Homicides to help authorities solve cases.

"We want to give people that hope," he said.

"We want to be an organization that will help," Smith said, "and make the next guy think before killing someone."

Smith has said the city has 90 unsolved cases since the 1960s.

In June, Battle Creek Police Chief Jim Blocker said the city has recorded 302 homicides since 1968 and 225 have been solved for a clearance rate of 75% above the national average of 61 percent.

Blocker said then that of the 77 unsolved cases, police have suspects in all but 22 homicides.

He has repeatedly called for help from the public to provide information to investigators.

The city has recorded four homicides in 2018, including Bowser, and arrests have been made in two of the four.

For more information about the Labor Day telethon see a link on the chruch's website at www.kingdombuildersworldwide.org

Contact Trace Christenson at 269-966-0685 or tchrist@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TSChristenson

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