Bowlin sentenced to 95 years

Mar. 23—GOSHEN — An Elkhart man who drove around Michigan and Indiana for three days with a body in his backseat and then lit the car on fire with the body inside was sentenced to 95 years in prison Thursday.

Ahead of sentencing, Austin Bowlin, 37, asserted his innocence to the murder charge. In Michigan, Bowlin pleaded guilty to arson and desecration of a body and is currently serving his time. While the jury deliberated February 23, Bowlin also plead guilty to stipulations as a habitual offender and possession of a firearm.

"I admitted to what I'd done in this situation, that was my role," he said. "I did not kill Jeff and I would never kill Jeff."

Bowlin was convicted of the murder of Jeffrey Crapo, 32, on March 1, 2020. After shooting him point blank while in the vehicle, witnesses said Bowlin drove around with Crapo's body in a car to various locations in Indiana and Michigan and forced Ashley Perkins to ride with him for much of the three-day-journey with the body in the back seat. Crapo's body was disposed of by the car being set on fire outside of Jackson, Mich. March 4.

Bowlin was initially taken into custody in Michigan where he was charged with arson and mutilation of a corpse, pleading no contest in August 2022.

Throughout the investigation and trial, Bowlin continued to assert that Perkins, who was with him before, during, and in the days following the murder, committed the shooting that caused the death of Crapo. Bowlin did, however, apologize to the family for what he called 'his role' in the crime.

"I am sorry that you could not say goodbye to your father, your brother, your child, and that's my fault and I apologize for that," he said.

Currently, Bowlin is serving out his sentence in Jackson County, Mich. for the two felonies and for being a habitual offender. He was also on federal probation at the time of the slaying, which Elkhart Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno called a "cold-blooded execution."

Bowlin told the court that he does intend to appeal the murder conviction. Christofeno informed him that he was unable to get an appeals attorney to agree to take his case, but he is working hard to find one.

MALIK ROBINSON

An Elkhart man was charged for his part in a robbery that took place Aug. 8, 2021 after pleading guilty Feb. 23.

Police say Noah Crowley, Dylan Simons and Malik Robinson robbed a group of people at a party on Greenleaf Boulevard and were charged with three counts of armed robbery, and one count of pointing a firearm.

Elkhart County Superior Court 3 Judge Teresa Cataldo told Robinson ahead of sentencing that of the three men, she found him to be the most culpable.

"You should be the voice of reason in this group because Mr. Crowley and Mr. Simons would be the ones that were out drinking and taking pills, but you were the one adding fuel to the fire," she told him.

Robinson was also the one who got the rifle used to intimidate the victims out of the vehicle, calling him the instigator.

"This is a situation that could have turned much worse relatively quickly," Cataldo told him. "What if one of those other persons would have had a gun?"

She called the plea a very favorable one.

"In my opinion, you should be sitting next to Mr. Crowely at the DOC," she added.

The plea dropped two of the robbery charges. Robinson was sentenced to 12 years on the robbery count, with seven years at Michiana Community Corrections and five to be served on reporting probation, and two years on probation for the single count of pointing a weapon.

DARIUS THOMAS

A murder suspect is facing trial April 3.

During Thursday's court proceedings, Christofeno said counsel met with him on Wednesday off the record to discuss matters related to a juvenile case from murder suspect Darius Thomas, with an unpublished decision.

"It seems to me like unless we've got some medical evidence, I'm not sure what more there's going to be to talk about," he stated.

Thomas, 26, Middlebury, is charged in the murder of Shamar Barnes Feb. 5, 2021. Detectives believe Thomas had parked a car at a Marathon gas station, 1226 S. Main St., while a backseat passenger got out and went into the store, and Thomas peeked out of the car, pointed a gun at Barnes, and fired three shots. Police responded to the call around 4:25 p.m., finding Barnes with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital just before 5 p.m.

Thomas had been out of prison for about nine months after serving time in a robbery case out of Goshen when the incident occurred. Thomas pleaded guilty to an armed robbery that occurred on North Main Street in May 2012, and in November 2012 sentenced to 12 years in prison.

NIMAONI KING

A Bashor teen is being charged in connection with a robbery dated back to Oct. 10, 2022. According to police, Nimaoni King, 16, ran away with two other girls from Bashor Children's Home, 62226 C.R. 15, Goshen, assaulting a staff member and stealing her keys to escape the secure facility.

Later that day, officers were advised of three young women running on properties near C.R. 30 and C.R. 15 and they were apprehended although two, including King, attempted to resist law enforcement.

A preliminary plea of not guilty was entered on King's behalf. Along with a pretrial conference for a new case of battery against a public safety official from November, King's status conference is scheduled for April 13, with an omnibus date April 20, and both cases will be set for trial May 15.

RAUDEL NUNEZ

A pretrial status conference took place for a man who is accused of driving under the influence resulting in death April 1, 2022.

Raudel Nunez, 23, is accused of causing the crash that resulted in the death of Pedro Batres Beltran. Officers responded to the call of a two-vehicle crash at U.S. 33 and C. R. 146 where they found a crash involving in GMC Sierra and a Chevrolet Colbat. According to a witness, the Sierra, driven by Nunez, had passed him on U.S. 33 going north in a no-passing zone at a high rate of speed while traveling up an incline and then crashed into the Cobalt traveling south.

Batres Beltran was pronounced dead at the scene. Nunez initially attempted to identify as Jose Salas but later confirmed his identity and submitted to a blood draw which showed THC and cocaine present in his system.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.