A 31-year-old Indiana mother, Kirstin Bowers, is accused of leaving her four children inside their burning home. As a result, one of them, 7-year-old David Bowers Jr., tragically lost his life.
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According to a Rush County Sheriff’s Office release obtained by Law & Crime, the incident occurred on June 5. At around 2 p.m., the RCSO received a report of a house fire with a child inside. Emergency responders arrived at the Arlington and found a single-family residence, fully engulfed in flames.
First responders attempted to rescue the 7-year-old from the burning home, to no avail. David was declared dead on the scene by the Rush County Coroner’s Office.
While investigating the incident, authorities found specific details that were deemed suspicious.
Bowers, at the time, allegedly claimed that she had fallen asleep while holding a cigarette. The release detailed Bowers’ story, with her claiming she woke up to the house on fire. Despite her best efforts, she only managed to save three out of her four children, according to her statement.
Additionally, the RCSO reported Bowers making two different 911 calls. One was a hangup, and the other one was placed 15 minutes later.
‘I Hope Everything You Love Dies’
The sheriff’s office, however, gathered evidence that contradicted Bowers’s story. Authorities allege that the mother had left the residence and walked away from the residence at the time of the fire. She is accused of leaving her four children inside the residence, three of whom are suspected of leaving the house on their own.
David Bowers Jr. was unable to, resulting in his death.
Court documents cited by WTHR shed some light on what might have led to the alleged incident. The documents describe a tense and problematic relationship between Bowers and her husband, with one resident hearing her telling him, days before the fire, “I f–king hate you, and I hope everything you love dies.”
Furthermore, Bowers’ husband allegedly told police that Kirstin had stopped taking her medication and was doing meth. The man allegedly found out when Bowers herself told the Department of Child Services, as per WTHR.
In contrast to the RCSO initial release, neighbor Nicholas Land and his wife are reported to have helped the children out of the burning home.
On July 28, Kirstin Bowers was charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and three counts of neglect of a dependent. She is currently being held at the Shelby County Jail on unrelated charges.