Murder of Dr Jim Sowa by Joseph O’Boyle profiled on Philly Homicide

Philly Homicide is investigating the murder of chiropractor Dr Jim Sowa, who was beaten to death by disgruntled patient Joseph O’Boyle at his home in Bensalem, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the morning, on November 2, 2020, O’Boyle went to Sowa’s home, which doubled as his chiropractic office, and struck him three times on the back of the head with a blunt object. The killer then struck Sowa several times in the jaw after his victim had collapsed to the floor.

O’Boyle then fled the scene. A surveillance camera recorded him entering and leaving the crime scene, and he had remained there for less than one minute.

After the attack, O’Boyle drove to a gym, where he stayed for only 15 minutes before driving to his home.

The 64-year-old Sowa stumbled from his practice office to the kitchen in the residence area of the house before he collapsed. His remains were found a couple of hours later by his adult son.

The police found a trail of blood leading from the practice area to the kitchen. They found a pool of blood and some Sowa’s teeth in the practice.

Joseph O’Boyle killed Dr Jim Sowa because he blamed him for his jaw pain

O’Boyle had been seeing Sowa because of jaw pain, but he reportedly became angry with the doctor because he believed the pain had become worse. His family later told the cops that O’Boyle told them Sowa had made the pain worse and he was going to sue him.

The killer’s father confronted his son about the murder on two occasions. The first time, O’Boyle denied having anything to do with it, but his father later admitted that he had become agitated and began rubbing his jaw. On the second occasion, O’Boyle confessed to the murder.

O’Boyle entered an open guilty plea to criminal homicide, criminal trespassing, and possession of an instrument of crime.

Joseph O’Boyle given lengthy sentence for Dr Jim Sowa murder

Public Defender Joseph Haag told the court that his client suffered from mental illness, including schizophrenia, and that he had stopped taking his medication three months before the murder.

Because it was an open plea, Bucks County Judge Wallace Bateman was tasked with deciding the degree of murder. The judge opted for third-degree murder and a sentence of 37 to 74 years.

O’Boyle had also previously pleaded guilty to assaulting a Bensalem detective investigating the homicide.

Philly Homicide airs Saturdays at 9/8c on Oxygen.