Miss. murder suspect kills Spring bystander, self as police close in

Roderick Bowers, 52, was wanted out of Gulfport, Mississippi, on charges of homicide, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic violence, police said. He was found dead inside an apartment in Spring, along with an innocent bystander. less Roderick Bowers, 52, was wanted out of Gulfport, Mississippi, on charges of homicide, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic violence, police said. He was found dead inside an apartment in Spring, along ... more Photo: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Photo: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Miss. murder suspect kills Spring bystander, self as police close in 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

A murder suspect on the run from Mississippi killed a bystander after hiding out in the victim’s Spring apartment during a standoff in Spring late Thursday night before taking his own life, authorities said.

The suspect, 52-year-old Roderick Bowers, was wanted for homicide, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic violence from Mississippi when U.S. Marshals and officers with the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force caught up with him at an apartment complex off Rayford Road on Thursday afternoon, according to Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Scott Spencer.

Police tried arresting him when he was spotted at the complex, but he allegedly pulled a gun, pointed it at the officers and fled on foot to another nearby apartment complex in the 2600 block of Harmony Park Crossing. Once there, he somehow managed to enter an apartment, whose resident, John William Mohr, 52, of Midland, was still inside, Spencer said.

Sheriff’s office SWAT officers tried entering that apartment about 12:30 a.m. Friday but heard three gunshots, so they retreated, Spencer said. After pleading with the man to come out, officer deployed a special camera-equipped robot to inspect the apartment.

HOMICIDE REPORT: 310 people have died by homicide in Harris County so far in 2019, only on HoustonChronicle.com

That’s when they found both the resident and Bowers dead, Spencer said.

Bowers was accused of killing 32-year-old Cruz Johnson and injuring another person in a shooting Sunday in Gulfport, Miss., according to WVLT-TV. Bowers was also accused of kidnapping a woman, who was found safe the next day, on Nov. 6.

Bowers called the TV station a few days after the shooting and admitted to killing Johnson, who he said was having a relationship with the woman who he allegedly kidnapped. Bowers is the father of the woman’s three children, he told the TV station.

“(Sunday) morning, when I saw them, I just lost it,” Bowers told the TV station.

Jose R. Gonzalez contributed to this report.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com

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