Mortician's Murder Trial Moved to Pitt County

Rocky Mount, N.C. — Citing the effects of pre-trial publicity, a judge on Thursday ordered the trial of a Rocky Mount mortician in his wife's death to be held outside of Nash County.

Mark Bowling, the former owner of several Bowling Funeral Home operations in eastern North Carolina, has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the Dec. 8, 2006, shooting death of his wife, Julie Bowling.

Rose Vincent pleaded guilty in February to gunning down Julie Bowling in the Bowlings' garage, saying Mark Bowling had provided her with a map and instructions on how to carry out the crime while he was out of town. Vincent, who has agreed to testify against Bowling, said he had asked her to kill his wife so he and Vincent could be together.

The combination of a prominent businessman, a bloody crime, an illicit affair and allegations that Mark Bowling had strippers perform for him in his funeral homes have resulted in intense media coverage of the case in Rocky Mount.

Defense attorneys argued Thursday that Bowling couldn't receive a fair trial in Nash County because of the extensive publicity, and Assistant Nash County District Attorney Keith Werner agreed publicity about the case would create difficulties for prosecutors as well.

Superior Court Judge Quentin Sumner, who in January issued a gag order in the case to limit public comments made by prosecutors and defense attorneys, ordered that the trial be moved to Pitt County and set a Sept. 22 trial date.

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Latest Comments

stpjay43, with all due respect, you have no idea what you are talking about. The DA and the Sheriff (correct spelling) have said nothing to taint this case. The gag order was put in place because of the media coverage the case was getting locally and the Honorable Judge felt it was best to minimize pertinent information being leaked to the public. In fact, the DA and the Defense both requested the motion of the gag order, which his Honor approved.

GM

Glenn Miller
April 4, 2008 8:41 a.m.

I think he is just as guilty as the women who pulled the trigger...I Dont understand why he put her family through all the trauma-They could have just got a divorce. THats just my opinion.

menglish
April 3, 2008 8:18 p.m.

the reason so many people on this forum thinks he is guilty.because....................the da and the sherrif talk all about the so called evedence in this case and now they want a gag order out .there has not been any such talk from the defence if it had people might would have a differant opion about what happened.seems to me the da and the sherrif have already tamperd with all potential jurys by their so called evedence.if i had killed someone i sure would say someone else talked me into it to keep from getting the deat penalty.even if i had to lie.

stpjay43
April 3, 2008 7:49 p.m.

I wonder if he will be allowed to entertain the strippers while he's on probation???

MadBiker
April 3, 2008 3:09 p.m.

I live in Pitt County. I would LOVE to be on the jury for this one!