Sex offender gets life for murder of 18-year-old found in Columbia County field
Share this @internewscast.com

A judge has convicted 47-year-old John Leonard Bowen Jr. of murdering 18-year-old Coyoete Turner, whose body was discovered in a field in Columbia County in September 2023.

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — A sex offender registered in the state will serve a life sentence after his conviction for the murder of an 18-year-old woman in 2023, whose remains were found burned in a field in Columbia County.

On Wednesday, John Leonard Bowen Jr., aged 47, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the case of Coyoete Kathren Cheyenne Turner, 18. He was also found guilty of tampering with evidence, receiving an additional consecutive sentence of 23.1 years.


Turner’s body was found partially burned in a field off SW Haltiwanger Road on Sept. 3, 2023. 

Detectives interviewed several persons of interest, but Bowen became the focus after investigators discovered several pieces of evidence and other inconsistencies about his whereabouts at the time of Turner’s murder. 

Arrest report details evidence linking Bowen to the crime

When Turner’s body was found, investigators located items beneath her body, including a letter with a Suwannee County address, Bowen’s arrest report states. Detectives went to the address and discovered that Bowen was one of the residents living there, the report states. Bowen’s sex offender registration did not list the residence and instead listed an address near where Turner’s body was found. 


The arrest report states that detectives told Bowen to update his registration on the next available date. 

On Sep. 7, 2023, Bowen went to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office regarding his sex offender registration. He confirmed to detectives that he falsified his address and was arrested for violating his sex offender registration, the report states.

After Bowen was read his Miranda Rights, detectives questioned him about Turner. The report states that Bowen made “multiple statements about the [Turner’s] death,” but changed details in his story. 

Everything Bowen told detectives regarding Turner’s death was redacted from his arrest report. 

The day Turner’s body was identified, a person who described herself as Turner’s aunt said Turner lived with her and her boyfriend, who was identified as Bowen, years earlier. It’s unclear if Bowen was a registered sex offender at the time he allegedly lived with Turner.

Following Turner’s death, investigators obtained surveillance video from businesses near where her body was found. 

Detectives identified Bowen in surveillance video changing his clothes inside a red Dodge Journey before entering a Sunstop store in Ellisville. The store is located just south of Howell Road, which intersects the road where Turner’s body was found.

‘He wouldn’t harm a child like that,’ victim’s mother previously said

First Coast News spoke with Turner’s mother weeks after her death.

“Coyoete was a special woman. She loved everybody, she loved her family, and she wanted to have a beautiful life,” Turner’s mother, Eleanor Houston, said. “She didn’t deserve what she got. Nobody deserves something like that. People don’t understand what you’re going through when you lose a child, much less the way she died.”

Houston claimed at the time that Bowen was a family friend who could never hurt her daughter.

“He wouldn’t harm a child like that. You’ve got to have certain traits to do what you have done to my daughter, and he doesn’t carry those traits,” she said.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Silver stainless steel water bottle with black lid and handle.

Walmart Urgently Recalls 850,000 Water Bottles After ‘Ejecting’ Incident Leaves Two Blind

An urgent recall has been announced for approximately 850,000 stainless steel water…
Protesters and federal agents clash during raid at Southern California farm

Clash Erupts Between Protesters and Federal Agents During Southern California Farm Raid

A clash broke out on Thursday involving protesters and federal agents conducting…
New York ABSOLUTELY should ban masked 'protests'

New York Should Certainly Prohibit Masked ‘Protests’

Masked protestors took to the city streets, targeting Jewish neighborhoods, and voiced…
Therapist sitting in front of hyperbaric chambers.

Therapist, 43, Tragically Perishes in Fiery Blaze Inside Oxygen Chamber After Sudden Fire at His Clinic

A PHYSICAL therapist has been burned alive inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber…
Jacksonville dance instructor arrested for sex crime with minor

Jacksonville Dance Teacher Charged with Sexual Offense Involving Minor

Samuel Penalba, 34, is also accused of trying to delete photo and…
Parents crashing honeymoons becomes bizarre new travel trend

Unexpected Trend: Parents Tagging Along on Honeymoon Trips

Traditionally, a honeymoon serves as a unique getaway for newlyweds to relax…
Aerial view of a fenced-in facility in a desert landscape.

Israel Reveals Some Iranian Underground Uranium Reserves Withstood Trump’s Assault, Warns of Potential New Strikes

ISRAEL says some of Iran’s highly-enriched near weapons-grade uranium stockpile survived US…
Chicago's 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. wants son to replace him in City Council after retirement, drawing criticism

Chicago Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. faces backlash for proposing his son as successor in City Council’s 27th Ward after retirement

The longest-tenured member of the Chicago City Council is stepping down at…
Photo of a teenage girl and a woman.

Brave 17-year-old dies rescuing his entire family from a van that fell off a cliff into dangerous floodwaters.

A BRAVE teenager saved her entire family after their van plunged off…
Damaged Camp Mystic mailbox in flood debris.

Heart-Wrenching Letters from Camp Mystic Kids Reach Families Days After Texas Floods Tragedy

Letters penned by young campers at Camp Mystic have begun reaching their…
Sex therapist of 45 years reveals why people cheat

45-Year Veteran Sex Therapist Explains Why People Cheat

People often believe cheating is solely caused by lust, a need for…
Photo of Darcy Deefholts.

Teen Surfer’s Dramatic Rescue: Swept 9 Miles Out to Sea and Stranded Overnight on Deserted Island

A 19-YEAR-OLD surfer was miraculously found alive and well after getting marooned…