Ex-boyfriend sought in woman’s slaying
Jim Walsh, courierpostonline.com
When Carol Bowne felt the threat of domestic violence, the petite hairdresser took steps to protect herself.
The Berlin Township woman got a restraining order against a former boyfriend, installed security cameras and an alarm system to her home and began the months-long process of obtaining a handgun, friends said.
But it wasn’t enough.
Bowne, 39, was stabbed to death in the driveway of her Patton Avenue home on Wednesday night.
Berlin Township Police Chief Leonard Check said Bowne applied for a gun license on April 21, and that she had inquired Monday about her request.
The application process typically takes two months or more as police collect information on the applicant, including fingerprints and reference checks. “We did not get the fingerprint information yet,” said Check.
Our Take:
This was an avoidable tragedy. Carol Bowne, the lovely 39-year-old hairdresser, felt vulnerable and unsafe with this man around. She equipped her home with surveillance cameras, set up an alarm system, and applied for a gun permit. If that damn permit had worked its way through the system faster, she’d still be alive today.
Unstable individuals like Michael Eitel could care less about restraining orders. All they care about is inflicting pain on their victims. The defensive use of a firearm could have prevented this cold-blooded murder.
According to Berlin Township Police Chief Leonard Check, Bowne applied for a gun permit back in April. She then checked on its status on Monday, just days before her murder. Bowne knew that she needed a gun to protect herself.
We need a system that allows Bowne and others like her to attain a gun license quicker. When victims feel a sincere fear for their own lives, it should be common sense to shuffle their applications to the top of the pile. Fast track people who have a sincere fear for their lives.
It angers me to think that if Bowne had acquired her permit just days before the incident, she could have survived the attack. Better yet, she could have killed this monster the minute he approached her with a knife.
As it is now, it takes roughly two months to attain a gun license within Berlin Township. This wait cost Bowne her life. It’s time for county officials to reevaluate their application process, and learn that wait time can be the difference between life and death.
