DNA being tested in Grundy County cold case

CHANNAHON – Fifteen years after 17-year-old Nicole L. Bowers was last seen at her Morris home, Channahon investigators recently had some DNA evidence tested in her murder case.

"Science changes in 15 years," Deputy Police Chief Adam Bogart said Monday at a press conference. "Relationships change too. Someone who may have felt they couldn't come forward (then) could (contact police) now."

On the night of Aug. 2, 2000, Bowers was watching TV when her mother went to bed, but wasn't home when she woke up the next morning at their apartment in the 1200 block of Alicia Drive. Police said at the time the teen was a "habitual runaway" who regularly spent the night at a boyfriend's house. Investigators became suspicious after several days passed and Bowers, who had not taken any personal items, did not contact relatives.

"I remember as a patrolman, for several years her picture was at our station as a missing runaway," Police Chief Jeff Wold said.

On May 9, 2003, a surveyor found part of Bowers' skull in a field near Bungalow and Gun Club roads in Channahon while the Utility Concrete facility was being constructed. The site is about two miles from where Bowers lived, Wold said.

"We found some bones on the surface and ended up searching an area about 50 yards long by 75 yards wide where we brushed down inches below the surface and sifted," Wold said.

Bowers' identity was confirmed through dental records and forensics indicated her bones had been intentionally broken and scattered across the wide area. She died as a result of blunt force trauma to her head.

While attending a homicide conference in February, Grundy County State's Attorney Jason Helland was inspired to review the cold case and has been meeting every other week with Channahon detectives.

"Evidence collected at the scene (was) recently sent to the crime lab and DNA returned," Helland said.

Bogart said further analysis is needed to check if the DNA can be matched to anyone in the law enforcement database network.

"Upon review of this particular case, (investigators) pulled out several leads that weren't followed up on at the time," Helland said. "We feel someone in the public has relevant information and relationships have changed among those individuals."

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 815-467-8353 or Grundy County CrimeStoppers at 815-942-9667. CrimeStoppers offers rewards up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.