Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Oct 11/02) - An American man wanted as a possible witness in connection with a triple murder of a Virginia family was arrested by Inuvik RCMP here, last Thursday.

Garrison Storm Bowman, 66, of Mayodan, North Carolina, was arrested at his apartment above Norcan Auto Leasing Ltd., where he'd been doing carpentry work in exchange for body work done to his van.

Michael Short, 50, and Mary Short, 36, were found shot dead in their Bassett, Virginia, home on Aug. 15, but it was not until Sept. 25 that police found the remains of their nine-year-old daughter, Jennifer, 50 kilometres away in Madison, N.C.

Bowman is being held on an alleged immigration violation and faces deportation. A hearing was held in Yellowknife court Monday.

During the 30-minute hearing, Bowman waived his right to be represented by a lawyer.

Regarding the murder investigation, Bowman told the court that someone had given false information to the authorities.

Hearing televised

"I'm a suspect in this murder in Virginia and North Carolina. I'm quite sure we'll get to the bottom of this," Bowman said during the hearing. "I see here the person has given false information to the FBI and sheriff's department in North Carolina, so this we'll get to the bottom of, thank you."

Randy Gurlock, spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, said Bowman will be detained in custody until he appears before an admissibility hearing to decide if he will be deported. That hearing has been set for Friday morning.

"We are alleging he is in violation of the Immigration Act, because he has prior criminal convictions," Gurlock said.

Bowman has an impaired driving conviction from 1997 and a driving while disqualified conviction in Wyoming in 1998 that he failed to appear in court for. He also failed to appear on an impaired charge in Fort McPherson in August.

Gurlock said Bowman was remanded to the Yellowknife Correctional Centre from an RCMP holding cell because he poses a flight risk.

Alaska bound

Court documents obtained by the Inuvik Drum have an informant alleging Bowman left his home the day after the murders were committed with a note in the mailbox saying he was going to Alaska. No charges have been filed by the Rockingham or Henry County sherriff offices. Sgt. Phil Johnson of the Yellowknife RCMP said Bowman is only being held on the immigration violation.

Charlotte, N.C. FBI spokesperson Erik Blowers said there are "a number of reasons" why prosecutors and the sherriff's office have not charged Bowman in connection to the crime.

When asked if charges might be delayed to avoid a lengthy extradition hearing on a crime that could be punished by the death penalty, agent Blowers laughed.

"I think you know exactly what's going on here," Blowers said. "We have to be careful how we term everything and he is not being treated as a suspect in this case."

Henry County sherriff Frank Cassells said he would charge Bowman if he thought there was enough evidence.

"If we had the evidence to lay the charge, we'd lay it and let the State Department and Canadian officials work that out -- I wouldn't let that stop me."

Lack of evidence

"We have absolutely nowhere near enough evidence to lay a charge -- we'd be laughed out of the magistrate's office," he added.

While not having enough evidence to lay charges, Cassells does see the actions of Bowman as suspicious.

"He told everybody he was going to Alaska, but yet he stayed over on the Canadian side. It makes you wonder why, don't it?"

Jess Fletcher is a lot attendant at Norcan and spent the past month driving Bowman around Inuvik to pick up building materials. Fletcher said Bowman was working in exchange for body work done to his van at the garage.

Fletcher noted that Bowman had lost his driver's licence in the United States, but seemed unconcerned about getting back to deal with the charge.

"I found it kind of odd that he didn't want to go back to the States to beat the impaired charge," Fletcher said. "I asked him when he was getting his court date and he didn't want to talk about that -- he just kind of changed the subject."

Bowman's neighbour, Loretta Dicks, said Bowman had installed a linoleum floor in their apartment and was a helpful and friendly man.

The FBI have an agent assisting in the investigation in Inuvik. Both the Rockingham and Henry County Sherriff's Departments said they plan to send investigators to Yellowknife this week to interview Bowman.