By Meladi Brewer
DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — Prosecution witnesses took the stand on the second day of the Richard M. Bowman trial in Darke County Common Pleas Court.

Darke County Sheriff’s Office Detective Doug Didier took the stand as the first witness for the prosecution on Wednesday. He testified he did not find any place where the victim, Teresa Bowman, would have fallen from during his search.

“Things weren’t quite adding up with the placement of anything,” Didier said.

Bowman was arrested in June 2020 after his wife was pronounced dead at their residence on Disher Road, Darke County, Ohio, in April. A forensic examination revealed her death was the result of strangulation.

The day following the discovery of Teresa Bowman’s body was utilized to check Richard Bowman’s alibi. The surveillance cameras at the locations Bowman stated he went did not show his vehicle during the times given. Prosecutors claim the only surveillance camera on which Bowman was seen was inside Dollar General.

“He had on dark shoes and a dark jacket,” Didier said. “It did not appear to be the same clothing there at the house.”

A search warrant was obtained and detectives searched for the missing clothing and a possible weapon.

“We never found the dark black tennis shoes or other clothing,” Didier said, “and we never found the weapon either.”

Though these items were never recovered, an interview recorded between [Darke County Sheriff’s Office Detective Rachael Prickett, Sergeant Chris Clark, and Bowman, he reported the clothing had been allegedly stolen.

“It makes absolutely no sense to me,” Bowman stated. “My all black tennis shoes and Carhart vest are gone.”

The interview continued with a list of possible theories of who could have wished harm on Teresa, but it was Bowman who needed to clear his name during the interrogation as the prosecution claims his timeline did not match the video surveillance and evidence from Teresa’s Fit-Bit.

“The timeline does not add up,” Clark said. “How long were you gone compared to the route you drove.”

The prosecution alleges the drive from the Dollar General store to Disher Road is roughly nine minutes when driving the speed limit on a good day. Surveillance video shows Bowman leaving the store at 11:06 a.m. He messaged his wife at 11:21 a.m. asking if they needed bread, advising he sent the text as he turned onto Disher Road. Bowman advised the officers he went straight into the house upon arrival to look for Teresa before finding her in the barn and calling 911 at 11:35 a.m and investigators came out.

A handprint investigators found on the running board of the truck was later identified as Teresa’s.

More witnesses are expected to take the stand through the end of the week.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer email [email protected].