I always thought that becoming a mother was kind of like developing super powers. The moment my son was born, I truly never felt more powerful. I couldn’t believe what my body could do, and ever since, I’ve found myself capable of more than I ever could have dreamed. I know with every fiber of my being that if my kid was in any physical danger, I would leap in head first to help him, and I believe most mothers feel the same.
Sadly, not every child has a parent like that, as is evident in the case of Kristin D. Powers, a 31-year-old Indiana mother who walked away as her Arlington home burned with her four kids inside, killing one of them, according to Law & Crime.
Deputies and firefighters were dispatched to the home at around 2 p.m., and it was engulfed in flames.
They were responding to a 911 call that included the claim a 7-year-old child, David Bowers Jr., was still inside the burning home, according to a news release. Firefighters made several unsuccessful attempts to rescue the boy, but he was declared dead at the scene.
At the time, Bowers gave officials a statement that described her falling asleep in bed with a lit cigarette, which led to her awaking to flames, Law & Crime reported. She claimed she tried to get the children out of the home one by one, but smoke and fire prevented her from getting to the trapped little boy. She reportedly made two 911 calls: one that she hung up on and the other 15 minutes later that tipped off authorities that a child was trapped inside.
Authorities said on the date of the fire that they observed ‘numerous suspicious circumstances.’
Using witness statements, surveillance footage, and digital technology authorities uncovered a very different timeline of events. They determined that Bowers left the residence at the time of the fire and walked several blocks away as it burned, though she later denied this.
WTHR reported that Bowers and her husband had a combative relationship. Neighbors told investigators days before the fire they heard Bowers yell, “I [redacted] hate you and I hope everything you love dies.”
A search of Bower’s cellphone records revealed she reportedly texted him this message: “Well I’m about to call the CPS lady back out here…and let her know that you left me here with the kids by myself when she said not to so thanks.”
She offered explanations for the walk neighbors stated they saw her on, saying she returned minutes before the fire began, but police noted that the first 911 call happened about four minutes after she would have been on her walk, per WTHR. Police also noted that she was soot-free and didn’t smell like smoke.
Roughly a week after the fire, Bowers reportedly searched for the following online: “Manslaughter sentence Indiana,” “Voluntary manslaughter,” “Reckless homicide sentence,” and “Manslaughter of a child sentence Indiana,” Law & Crime reported.
Authorities suspect the three surviving children left the home themselves but the boy was unable to get out.
When Bowers’ husband heard of his son’s death, he immediately told authorities to ‘arrest her.’
He had filed for divorce on July 9, per WTHR. On July 28, Bowers was arrested and charged with three counts of the neglect of a dependent, and one count of the neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
Bowers reached a plea deal on March 9, according to another Law & Crime report. She agreed to plead guilty to the one count that resulted in the death of her son in exchange for the other three counts to be dropped. The deal included a 30-year sentence in which she will serve 16 years in prison and the remaining 14 years suspended.
