Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Clifford Henry Bowen

 

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Death

Years Imprisoned:

6

Year Crime:

1980

Year Convicted:

1981

Year Cleared:

1987

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Oklahoma

County or Region of Crime:

Oklahoma

City of Crime:

Oklahoma City

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Clifford Henry Bowen was wrongly convicted in 1981 of three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of three people in a drug deal gone bad at a motel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on July 7, 1980. Bowen's prosecution was based on the eyewitness testimony of two people at the hotel, a night clerk, and a guest. Bowen's alibi defense, supported by 12 witnesses, was that he was 300 miles away at his home in Tyler, Texas at the time of the crime. Bowen testified in his defense that he was in Tyler at the time of the crimes. One of the witnesses testified that he talked to Bowen at his home only an hour before the murders. After his convicition by a jury Bowen was sentenced to death. His convictions were affirmed on direct appeal. His state post-conviction petition was denied, which was based on the prosecution's Brady violation of failing to disclose exculpatory evidence to his trial lawyer. Bowen filed a federal habeas corpus petition based on the Brady violation that was granted by the U.S. District Court. The State appealed. On June 25, 1986 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the district Court's ruling granting Bowen's habeas corpus petition. A state court judge ruled that one of the prosecution's witnesses would not be able to testify if Bowen was retried. The Oklahoma County District Attorney declined to retry Bowen, and their motion to dismiss the charges against Clifford Bowen were dismissed on July 31, 1987."

Conviction Caused By:

Prosecutor misconduct of concealing exculpatory evidence from Bowen's trial lawyers.

Innocence Proved By:

"On June 25, 1986 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the district Court's ruling granting Bowen's habeas corpus petition. The Oklahoma County District Attorney declined to retry Bowen, and their motion to dismiss the charges against Clifford Bowen were dismissed on July 31, 1987."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"DA Drops Case Against Bowen, By Ray Robinson, The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), July 31, 1987"

Information Location 1:

http://newsok.com/article/2194004

Information Source 2:

Death Penalty Information Center

Information Location 2:

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/Innocentlist.html

Information Source 3:

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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