Courtney Lynn "Tory" Bowser was a teenager who was found near Holtville, California in 2003.
Case[]
On August 14 or 15, 2003, Floyd Lavender and his cousin, Michael Gaines, reportedly confronted Tory and three other individuals at an apartment complex, believing that one of the four had stolen checks. As Gaines tortured another member of the group, Tory reportedly stated that she had traded the stolen checks for drugs. Lavender and Gaines allegedly then beat and tortured her before leading her out of the building, handcuffed.
Five days later, Tory's body was found floating in a canal north of Holtville, California, but remained unidentified until early 2006. An autopsy showed that she had elevated levels of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in her system, leading to her death being labeled as an overdose.
Two years after her identification, Lavender and Gaines were charged with Tory's murder, however, the eventual trial was riddled with inconsistencies and lacked any type of forensic evidence. Tory's autopsy report showed no signs of the alleged torture that had occurred, and witness testimony was often contradictory. Despite this, Lavender and Gaines were convicted of her murder.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Tory Bowser at Find a Grave
- Tory Bowser at the Doe Network (archived)
- People v. Lavender