Murder of Yvonne Thompson by Freddie Bowen examined on Evil Lives Here

ID is re-airing the Evil Lives Here investigation into the alleged crimes of Freddie Lee Bowen, which included the murder of Yvonne Thompson in St Paul, Minnesota, and the abuse of his children in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

For those who didn’t know Bowen and his wife Jacqueline very well, Bowen appeared to be a quiet, meek man and a respected member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

However, his eight children saw him as a monster who regularly beat them using a twisted version of the church’s teachings.

Years later, Bowen’s daughter Teresa Holman recounted how her father would lead a double life. He carried two suitcases; one held Watch Tower religious teachings, and the other contained his collection of pornography.

Holman also claimed that Bowen had sectioned off part of their house for Bible studies, but a lot of the time, it was simply a room to beat the girls with leather belts and the boys with wooden paddles.

Eventually, Bowen’s abuse became known to other members of the congregation, and he was disfellowshipped or thrown out of the church. The abuse was never reported to the police.

Freddie Bowen left his family and began dating Yvonne Thompson

Bowen abandoned his family and divorced Jacqueline. Years later, he began dating Yvonne Thompson, but she, too, allegedly became tired of his controlling ways and went to live with relatives in St. Paul, MN.

On August 25, 1996, Bowen shot dead 41-year-old Thompson at the back of her apartment building.

Neighbors reported hearing her shout, “Don’t shoot me! Don’t shoot me!” before hearing the pair arguing. A short time later, they heard screaming followed by gunshots.

The police shot dead Freddie Bowen after he killed Yvonne Thompson

After the murder, Bowen ran out of the apartment building and into the street and lay down while still holding the gun. The police surrounded him and attempted to negotiate with him.

After six hours, it was clear negotiations were going nowhere, so the police moved in. Bowen stood up while pointing the gun, causing the officers to shoot him. He was taken to a nearby hospital but died from his wounds aged 52. He had reportedly been trying to rekindle his relationship with Thompson.

If you or anyone you know is suffering domestic abuse, please get in touch with The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233) or follow the link to visit their website.

This episode of Evil Lives Here re-airs Friday at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery.