20-year-old formally charged in shooting death of Imperial Stewart
A Franklin County grand jury formally charged a 20-year-old man in the shooting death of 17-year-old Imperial Stewart who was missing for two weeks before police found his body.
Michael T. Bowles of Columbus faces two counts of murder and one count each of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, tampering with evidence, gross abuse of a corpse and having a weapon under disability, according to the Franklin County prosecutor's office.
There are three-year gun specifications on the aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and two murder charges.
Bowles is scheduled for an arraignment hearing Monday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. He is being held in the Franklin County jail on a $5 million bond.
Stewart was reporting missing on Sept. 20 in the North Linden area. He was found dead in a wooded area in northeast Columbus two weeks later.
Bowles is one of seven people accused in the Stewart's death and disappearance.
According to court records, Stewart bought a firearm from Bowles, and after the transaction, Bowles, one of his brothers and a 16-year-old tried to rob Stewart. During that attempted robbery, Stewart resisted and was shot, records show.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 20-year-old formally charged in shooting death of Imperial Stewart
