1267DMCA - Thomas Eldon Bowman



The image on the right is age-progressed to 60 years.

Name: Thomas Eldon Bowman

Case Classification: Endangered Missing

Missing Since: March 23, 1957

Location Last Seen: Altadena, Los Angeles County, California

Physical Description

Date of Birth: January 6, 1949

Age: 8 years old

Race: White

Gender: Male

Height: 4'0"

Weight: 50 lbs.

Hair Color: Dark Blonde

Eye Color: Brown

Nickname/Alias: Tommy

Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers

Dentals: Not Available

Fingerprints: Not Available

DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: T-shirt, blue plaid shirt, brown shoes, and jeans.

Jewelry: Unknown

Additional Personal Items: Davy Crockett belt buckle.

Circumstances of Disappearance

Tommy was last seen walking with family members on a trail in Arroyo Seco Canyon. He ran ahead to the family vehicle, and when his family members arrived at the vehicle, Tommy was not there.



He is suspected to have been one of the victims of Mack Ray Edwards, who, on March 6, 1970, surrendered himself to Los Angeles police and confessed to molesting and murdering 6 children between 1953 and 1970. He was arrested, pled guilty to three of the killings, and was sentenced to death. Before committing suicide in his cell on death row in 1971, he claimed to have murdered 18 children. One of those children was most likely Tommy Bowman.



In August 2006, author Weston DeWalt got to interview the widow of Edwards and her family. During that interview, it was revealed that Edwards gave his wife a confessional letter that admitted Edwards murdered Tommy. One key link that made this probable was that Edwards' employer, Kirst Construction, kept an equipment yard less than half a mile from where Tommy was kidnapped at the Arroyo Seco.



Edwards was convicted of the murders of Gary Rocha (also seen in news articles with the last name of Rochet) of Granada Hills, Donald Allen Todd of Sylmar, and Stella Darlene Nolan, who was snatched from Auction City in Norwalk. The remaining three confessed killings were that of Donald Lee Baker, Brenda Jo Howell, and Roger Dale Madison. He is suspected also in the disappearances of Bruce Kremen and Karen Lynn Tompkins, and the murder of Dorothy Gale Brown.

Investigating Agency(s)

Agency Name: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office

Agency Contact Person: Detective Vivian Flores

Agency Phone Number: 323-526-5541

Agency E-Mail: N/A

Agency Case Number: 004-00030-3100-402

Agency Name: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Agency Contact Person: Detective Tamar Abraham

Agency Phone Number: 323-890-5500

Agency E-Mail: N/A

Agency Case Number: 004-00030-3100-402

Agency Name: Pasadena Police Department

Agency Contact Person: Investigator Kate Favara

Agency Phone Number: 626-744-7105

Agency E-Mail: N/A

Agency Case Number: N/A

NCIC Case Number: M753904993

NCMEC Case Number: 985024

NamUs Case Number: 5867

Information Source(s)

NamUs

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

California Department of Justice

Press Telegram - Long Beach, California (August 29, 1961)

Los Angeles Times (3/17/07)

Los Angeles Weekly (10/6/08)



Admin Notes

Added: 1/6/2006; Last Updated: 4/18/2017