The Douglas County Sheriff's office has identified the body found burned in a car at Clinton Lake as that of a 40-year-old Johnson County woman.
The sheriff issued a statement this morning that identified the woman as Carolyn A. Bower of Olathe. But it's not yet known whether her death was an accident, suicide or foul play.
Lab results and a final report from coroner Erik Mitchell are still pending.
Bower was identified by dental records. The sheriff's office says tips from citizens and recovery of the vehicle-identification number from the Mazda 626 in which she was found helped narrow the investigation.
A passerby called police at 11 a.m. Sunday after seeing a car on fire near Rock Creek boat ramp on the south side of the lake.
Comments
audvisartist 11 years, 4 months ago
Dental records to the rescue! And that's why you can't have your original x-rays whenever you visit the dentist. We have to keep them on file so that cases like this can be solved with a bit of investigative work!
bangaranggerg 11 years, 4 months ago
JPT- that has to be the funniest post I've seen yet on ljworld. Good call!
OldEnuf2BYurDad 11 years, 4 months ago
I watch 3 L&O's and 1 CSI, so you need to take my theories seriously.
tempter1972 11 years, 4 months ago
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Ken Miller 11 years, 4 months ago
Kay O'Connor did it.
gerbilsniper 11 years, 4 months ago
how long before the DA tries to indict the car for arson and first degree murder. I can just see it now....LJWorld's continuing coverage of Dist. Atty. Charles Branson attempt to prosocute the 1997 Mazda 626. Although the Auto's attorney's claim it was an accident!!
neopolss 11 years, 4 months ago
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Katie Van Blaricum 11 years, 4 months ago
Someone is dead. Doesn't anyone have any respect around here??
Ken Miller 11 years, 4 months ago
why would someone from Olathe drive to Lawrence to kill herself? i also have a hard time believing that a well-made japanese car would explode (if it was american-made, i'd be more likely to believe death caused by car fire). No, folks, this is a homicide. Drug-related? Possibly. Prostitution? Maybe. But this sure isn't your run of the mill Lawrence murder, now is it?
OldEnuf2BYurDad 11 years, 4 months ago
There is no doubt that it's murder. Suicide by flames? No one would commit suicide by burning themselves without a witness. Burning to death would be a way to draw attention to the pain (of both life and of death), so it would be pointless to do it unless there was the potential for an audience.
No, this is an attempt to obscure facts and eliminate evidence. Not suicide. That's the problem with crimes of passion: the perp isn't calm enough to think through the crime, and they forget all the many ways that they can get caught. He probably didn't wake up that morning and say "Today, I'll kill". Even a CSI/L&O "expert" such as myself would have a difficult time eliminating evidence from an unplanned crime.
While I did suggest a sexual motive, I never suggested that her life wasn't of value. I'm simply theorizing. All human life has value. That's why the man who did this will be found, and jailed.
I hope I don't offend anyone, but for the record: the average amount of ejaculate produced is 5 cc for an adult human. An odd fact, but true.
OldEnuf2BYurDad 11 years, 4 months ago
OK, I'll give you this: it could have been suicide by CO. If there was a hose to the cabin of the car. But, the fire would then have to have been a co-incident, and unrelated to the suicide. Like, after they died, their hooptie caught fire.
But, is that plausible?
Ken Miller 11 years, 4 months ago
Forget CO - the car was found by Clinton Lake - OUTDOORS. If you are going to asphyxiate yourself, you do it in a garage. Even David Caruso can see that! Let's be practical here... the car and body were dumped here, away from where the actual murder took place. Could she have been murdered in Olathe? Possibly. But let's examine recent history and BLAME IT ON TOPEKANS.
OldEnuf2BYurDad 11 years, 4 months ago
I blame this murder,
Paris Hilton,
the price of gas,
Clinton's affairs,
the war in Iraq,
and my psoriasis
on Topeka.
cyberchaos 11 years, 4 months ago
First they need to find out what her activities were over the last month. Did she change any routines? Did she tell someone she worked with about maybe a stalker or problem with a husband/significant other/an affair gone wrong. The officials need to talk to the people/family that knew her daily habits. Perhaps a sudden change in personality. Drugs may have been envolved, but usually that heinous of a crime inflicted would have been maybe if she was a dealer/seller. Was she seeking phyciatric help? Unstable people don't think about how they are going to die, they just want to. And yes, the miles she was away from her hometown does seem odd. I only hope they can find out what happened. If she left any children behind they will have to struggle with their mothers brutal death for the rest of their lives.
Linda Endicott 11 years, 4 months ago
I heard on channel 5 earlier that the police were simply saying it was "an unattended death".
Well, what was your first clue, Sherlock?
Does this mean they don't think it was murder? How in the world could anyone not suspect murder in this case??
Ken Miller 11 years, 4 months ago
Oh jeez, Channel 5. I would believe info gleaned from Jerry Springer before I believe Ch. 5. Talk about sensationalizing the trivial - even their weather forecasts stretch the truth in the name of ratings.
Ceallach 11 years, 4 months ago
Much of the speculation will eventually be replaced with information. Either way, this is a tragedy and people are grieving the loss of a loved one. My consolences to her family and friends.
So now, have we progressed to a new level of male one upsmanship? Measuring by cc s? :)
formerlyKS 11 years, 4 months ago
OldEnuf2BYurDad,
You must be feeling pretty dumb about now...you've managed to miscall a couple of these things in the last two weeks. Imagine, your precious Olathe causing problems! Just like the bar fight. Maybe you should revise your perception of Olathe now...there seem to be as many hooligans there as in Topeka! Bad JoCo = no donut.
babyboycat 11 years, 4 months ago
Sounds like a "triangle" that got "squared"
Hoots 11 years, 4 months ago
I would hate to be one of her family members and see some of the post here today. There are some very sad people because of this. I don't know anyone who would want one of there own disrespected like we see here.
trinity 11 years, 4 months ago
they were saying on the news (channel 4 out of KC, somewhat more reputable and less frenzy-inducing than 5) that this woman had recently gotten a job at a bar by the joco courthouse; that she was also recently placed on probation in joco, i think it was obtaining prescription drugs by fraudulent means.
what a mess.
and i far prefer detective brass and those hot hunks o'CSI meat grissom&brown over that nypd reject horatio! ;)
bambam 11 years, 4 months ago
THANK YOU HOOTS THAT IS ABOUT ALL YOU SEE HERE IS STUPID REMARKS FROM STUPID PEOPLE TO THE FAMILY SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS
OldEnuf2BYurDad 11 years, 4 months ago
"You must be feeling pretty dumb about now...you've managed to miscall a couple of these things in the last two weeks"
Remind me... what were my bad calls?
kitschick 11 years, 4 months ago
Ok, I know the victim who is a very good friend of mine. This was not a drug deal gone wrong she has 3 children and if they were to get on this site, it would just crush them. I have known the victim for about a year-there was a man, but that man is also great friend of mine and he did not do this. You all need to be careful what you say-pray for her children and the friends that are grieving in this time of loss.
OldEnuf2BYurDad 11 years, 4 months ago
Kits,
I hope they find out who killed your friend.
badger 11 years, 4 months ago
My condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.
May she rest peacefully.
John Spencer 11 years, 4 months ago
Sorry about the loss Kitschick. Many years back there was a guy who died at the Eldridge parking lot, he had gone to sleep in his running car. That could quite conceivably be the case here she could have just been relaxing and fallen asleep, some seepage of C0 or C02 and she would have been incapacitated quite quickly. I know that sometimes vehicles left running for a long time catch fire, I had a small Toyota pickup that did. I left the thing on and went inside to let it warm up, fell asleep and was awakened by the neighbors pounding on the front door telling me my truck was on fire! Stop assuming,,, you know what that does....
lovenhaight 11 years, 4 months ago
This woman is my stepsister-in-law's mother. Show some respect.
kitschick 11 years, 4 months ago
Thank you so much lovenhaight! We will forever miss her. Thanks so much to all you respectfull people! I already miss her smiling cheery face:) She will live in our hearts forever!
Drew_Carey 11 years, 4 months ago
For all the women who go through hell in life, may life get better, and may this woman rest in peace, and may her family be blessed with quiet, recovery, and future happiness after they find who they become after this tragedy.
Forgive the natural inquisitiveness of humans, it's not just because they are on here, this sort of conservation has happened throughout time, it is normal human response, to try to figure out, deal with the questions of why? Why must this happen? We think little of when a star's picture is put in print, but when a private person's picture is put on, it comes very close to home doesn't it?
shortie96 11 years, 4 months ago
This was one of my best friends.......the woman that was killed. I love her and miss her dearly. I will miss our talks, her smiling face, her laugh and everything we did together.
RIP Cami........I will always love you!!!!!!
shortie96 11 years, 4 months ago
And FYI she was not a drug dealer, not into drugs........she was a 40 year old, single mother of 3. And please show some respect to her and her family.
Grundoon Luna 11 years, 4 months ago
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OldEnuf2BYurDad 11 years, 4 months ago
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