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Death of Portage 19-yr-old Amanda Bach/Ex BF Charged with Her Murder /Bail Hearing for Man Accused of Amanda's Murder, Bail Denied/Trial to start Feb 4th/ McCowan found guilty/Sentenced to 60 years!
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Dustin McCowan Convicted Of Killing Ex-Girlfriend Amanda Bach
VALPARAISO, Ind. (CBS) – 19-year-old Amanda Bach was shot and killed two years ago. Now a jury convicted her ex-boyfriend Dustin McCowan of murder.
CBS 2’s Marissa Bailey talked to Bach’s family about what it took to catch the killer.
Sometimes hugs are the only way to say and today Amanda Bach’s parents said “” to those who, after months of agony, helped convict their daughter’s killer.
“Amanda needed some justice and this really isn’t justice for her but it’s a small little piece of satisfaction I guess,” said Bill Bach, Amanda’s father.
20-year-old Dustin McCowan was found guilty Tuesday of murdering Bach in 2011.
Investigators say after a short relationship, McCowan became jealous. He shot Bach once in the throat, then dumped her body on traintracks just 300 yards from his house.
There was no DNA and police never recovered the gun, but instead relied on cell phone pings and text messages as evidence.
“This was a largely circumstantial case which I like to analyze it as each piece of evidence is a small arrow that pointed at the guilt of Dustin McCowan,” said Matt Frost, Porter County Chief Prosecutor.
And with the trial now behind them, Amanda’s family and police say goodbye. A bittersweet ending to a story that should never have happened.
Dustin McCowan’s father is a Crown Point police officer. Investigators say they are looking into whether or not he helped his son cover up Amanda’s murder. So far, charges have not been filed.
Dustin McCowan will be sentenced in March.
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Video at link
CBS 2’s Marissa Bailey talked to Bach’s family about what it took to catch the killer.
Sometimes hugs are the only way to say and today Amanda Bach’s parents said “” to those who, after months of agony, helped convict their daughter’s killer.
“Amanda needed some justice and this really isn’t justice for her but it’s a small little piece of satisfaction I guess,” said Bill Bach, Amanda’s father.
20-year-old Dustin McCowan was found guilty Tuesday of murdering Bach in 2011.
Investigators say after a short relationship, McCowan became jealous. He shot Bach once in the throat, then dumped her body on traintracks just 300 yards from his house.
There was no DNA and police never recovered the gun, but instead relied on cell phone pings and text messages as evidence.
“This was a largely circumstantial case which I like to analyze it as each piece of evidence is a small arrow that pointed at the guilt of Dustin McCowan,” said Matt Frost, Porter County Chief Prosecutor.
And with the trial now behind them, Amanda’s family and police say goodbye. A bittersweet ending to a story that should never have happened.
Dustin McCowan’s father is a Crown Point police officer. Investigators say they are looking into whether or not he helped his son cover up Amanda’s murder. So far, charges have not been filed.
Dustin McCowan will be sentenced in March.
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Video at link
raine1953- Administration
- Join date : 2010-01-21
Re: Death of Portage 19-yr-old Amanda Bach/Ex BF Charged with Her Murder /Bail Hearing for Man Accused of Amanda's Murder, Bail Denied/Trial to start Feb 4th/ McCowan found guilty/Sentenced to 60 years!
This case really got to me for some reason..I think it's cause of that You Tube I posted. So SAD!!
Re: Death of Portage 19-yr-old Amanda Bach/Ex BF Charged with Her Murder /Bail Hearing for Man Accused of Amanda's Murder, Bail Denied/Trial to start Feb 4th/ McCowan found guilty/Sentenced to 60 years!
Dustin McCowan’s father is a Crown Point police officer. Investigators say they are looking into whether or not he helped his son cover up Amanda’s murder. So far, charges have not been filed.
Victim’s parents call McCowan conviction ‘small piece of justice’
By James D. Wolf Jr. Post-Tribune correspondent February 27, 2013 12:04PM
Updated: February 28, 2013 2:02AM
VALPARAISO — During a news conference about Tuesday’s murder conviction of 20-year-old Dustin McCowan, the Porter County Sheriff’s Department said his father, a Crown Point police officer, is also under investigation.
Detective Cmdr. Jeff Biggs said Wednesday morning the department has been investigating Elliot McCowan. Chief deputy prosecutor Matt Frost said this could lead to aiding-after-the-fact charges based on information from six months ago and testimony details during trial.
Sheriff’s police have no others under investigation, Biggs said.
John Vouga, who represented Dustin McCowan with Nick Barnes, didn’t know of any charges.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of it, but I’m certainly not going to tell the Porter County Sheriff how to do their job,” Vouga said. “If they want to file trumped-up charges against him, it’ll be my honor to defend him.”
The rest of the news conference reviewed the 17 months of investigation and the more than three weeks of trial for the murder of 19-year-old Amanda Bach.
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Updated: February 28, 2013 2:02AM
VALPARAISO — During a news conference about Tuesday’s murder conviction of 20-year-old Dustin McCowan, the Porter County Sheriff’s Department said his father, a Crown Point police officer, is also under investigation.
Detective Cmdr. Jeff Biggs said Wednesday morning the department has been investigating Elliot McCowan. Chief deputy prosecutor Matt Frost said this could lead to aiding-after-the-fact charges based on information from six months ago and testimony details during trial.
Sheriff’s police have no others under investigation, Biggs said.
John Vouga, who represented Dustin McCowan with Nick Barnes, didn’t know of any charges.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of it, but I’m certainly not going to tell the Porter County Sheriff how to do their job,” Vouga said. “If they want to file trumped-up charges against him, it’ll be my honor to defend him.”
The rest of the news conference reviewed the 17 months of investigation and the more than three weeks of trial for the murder of 19-year-old Amanda Bach.
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Dustin McCowan sentenced to 60 years in murder of Amanda Bach
VALPARAISO | Dustin McCowan smiled with jail guards as he was escorted out of the courtroom Thursday afternoon after being sentenced to a near-maximum of 60 years in prison for the Sept. 16, 2011 murder of his former girlfriend Amanda Bach of Portage.
The 20-year-old, who has grown a beard since last month's trial, declined an opportunity to comment before sentencing, saying only, "I don't think the court deserves it your honor."
He was found guilty of shooting 19-year-old Bach in the throat during the early morning hours after she showed up at the Union Township home he was living in at the time with his father. Bach's partially clothed body was found the following day less than 300 yards from the house in a wooded area along County Road 625 West at the Canadian National Railroad tracks.
The victim's father, Bill Bach, called the sentence bittersweet, pointing out that McCowan could be Bach's age when released from prison, if he is eligible to cut his terms in half with good behavior and participation in various programs.
"I guess what we would like would be life without parole," he said.
His wife, Sandy Bach, objected to the defense comparing McCowan going to prison to her daughter's death.
"Their loss doesn't compare to our loss," she said.
While the sentencing brought an end to the local stage of the high profile case, which included a nearly month-long trial in February, Porter Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa appointed the public defender's office to begin work on the appeal.
Emotions were high in the packed courtroom Thursday, with a McCowan supporter storming out of the hearing after Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek called members of the McCowan family "dishonest, cowardly and pathetic."
Polarek also referenced a recorded telephone call with McCowan at the jail that the judge later explained included a comment that prosecutors would have to experience the murder of their own children to understand what the McCowans were going through.
"Dustin McCowan is the way he is because of the adults in his life," Polarek said.
County police have revealed that they believe McCowan's father, Elliott McCowan, a Crown Point police officer, may have aided his son in attempting to cover up the murder.
Sandy Bach fueled the emotional atmosphere of the courtroom with a lengthy statement describing the many levels of pain she has suffered as a result of the murder and the challenges she faces without Amanda in her life.
"I will not let you get the best of me, Dustin, I will not," she said repeatedly during the statement. "You don't like hearing that, do you?"
Bill Bach, described the pain he felt watching McCowan plug his ears and look toward the floor whenever photos of his dead daughter were shown and discussed during the trial.
"I will have to leave his fate in the hands of God," he said.
The McCowan family declined comment as they left the courtroom, but defense attorney John Vouga characterized the near-maximum sentence as "a mere formality" that offers more fuel for the appeal that he voiced confidence would result in a reversal and chance for a new trial with an unbiased jury from outside the county.
McCowan's defense team spent much of the trial criticizing the police investigation as inadequate. The defense has raised questions about the involvement of other individuals, including the Wheeler man who helped police locate Bach's body.
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Dustin McCowan is led out of the Porter County Courthouse Thursday afternoon following his sentencing. Judge William Alexa sentenced McCowan to 60 years in prison for the September 2011 murder of Amanda Bach.
The 20-year-old, who has grown a beard since last month's trial, declined an opportunity to comment before sentencing, saying only, "I don't think the court deserves it your honor."
He was found guilty of shooting 19-year-old Bach in the throat during the early morning hours after she showed up at the Union Township home he was living in at the time with his father. Bach's partially clothed body was found the following day less than 300 yards from the house in a wooded area along County Road 625 West at the Canadian National Railroad tracks.
The victim's father, Bill Bach, called the sentence bittersweet, pointing out that McCowan could be Bach's age when released from prison, if he is eligible to cut his terms in half with good behavior and participation in various programs.
"I guess what we would like would be life without parole," he said.
His wife, Sandy Bach, objected to the defense comparing McCowan going to prison to her daughter's death.
"Their loss doesn't compare to our loss," she said.
While the sentencing brought an end to the local stage of the high profile case, which included a nearly month-long trial in February, Porter Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa appointed the public defender's office to begin work on the appeal.
Emotions were high in the packed courtroom Thursday, with a McCowan supporter storming out of the hearing after Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek called members of the McCowan family "dishonest, cowardly and pathetic."
Polarek also referenced a recorded telephone call with McCowan at the jail that the judge later explained included a comment that prosecutors would have to experience the murder of their own children to understand what the McCowans were going through.
"Dustin McCowan is the way he is because of the adults in his life," Polarek said.
County police have revealed that they believe McCowan's father, Elliott McCowan, a Crown Point police officer, may have aided his son in attempting to cover up the murder.
Sandy Bach fueled the emotional atmosphere of the courtroom with a lengthy statement describing the many levels of pain she has suffered as a result of the murder and the challenges she faces without Amanda in her life.
"I will not let you get the best of me, Dustin, I will not," she said repeatedly during the statement. "You don't like hearing that, do you?"
Bill Bach, described the pain he felt watching McCowan plug his ears and look toward the floor whenever photos of his dead daughter were shown and discussed during the trial.
"I will have to leave his fate in the hands of God," he said.
The McCowan family declined comment as they left the courtroom, but defense attorney John Vouga characterized the near-maximum sentence as "a mere formality" that offers more fuel for the appeal that he voiced confidence would result in a reversal and chance for a new trial with an unbiased jury from outside the county.
McCowan's defense team spent much of the trial criticizing the police investigation as inadequate. The defense has raised questions about the involvement of other individuals, including the Wheeler man who helped police locate Bach's body.
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Dustin McCowan is led out of the Porter County Courthouse Thursday afternoon following his sentencing. Judge William Alexa sentenced McCowan to 60 years in prison for the September 2011 murder of Amanda Bach.
raine1953- Administration
- Join date : 2010-01-21
For murder trial testimony, man gets jailtime break
April 01, 2013 2:15 pm • Bob Kasarda [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], (219) 548-4345(66) Comments
VALPARAISO | While Charles Wade was not promised anything for agreeing to testify in February against convicted murderer Dustin McCowan, he was rewarded Monday.
Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford said he considered Wade's cooperation when deciding to suspend seven of the 15 years of prison time Wade was given for a 2010 carjacking.
Bradford also said he had no objection to a request by the defense to allow 29-year-old Wade to continue to be held at the jail in Pulaski County to keep him out of harm's way after cooperating in the Porter County murder case.
Wade pleaded guilty a year ago to felony counts of carjacking and confinement stemming from accusations of abducting his former girlfriend at knifepoint in July 2010 and returned the following day to commit the same offense against the woman and her daughter.
Wade showed up in a different courtroom during the third week of the McCowan murder trial in February to tell jurors how McCowan had told him while they were locked up together he was concerned about police discovering blood and gun powder evidence in connection with the slaying of Portage resident Amanda Bach, 19.
McCowan said he accidentally struck Bach in the nose on the night in question while reaching for her cellphone and some of her blood may have dripped on the carpet of his home, Wade said. McCowan also reportedly told Wade he was getting a sweatshirt for the blood and the sweatshirt may have gun power residue on it from him shooting earlier while wearing it.
Wade said McCowan told him when he realized he still had Bach's cellphone after she left, he discarded it in an abandoned house near where he lived. McCowan said his father later found Bach's phone, Wade said.
McCowan's defense team accused Wade of lying in hopes of easing his sentence in the carjacking and criminal confinement case.
McCowan was sentenced last week to a near-maximum 60 years behind bars for the Sept. 16, 2011 shooting death of Bach, who was his former girlfriend.
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VALPARAISO | While Charles Wade was not promised anything for agreeing to testify in February against convicted murderer Dustin McCowan, he was rewarded Monday.
Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford said he considered Wade's cooperation when deciding to suspend seven of the 15 years of prison time Wade was given for a 2010 carjacking.
Bradford also said he had no objection to a request by the defense to allow 29-year-old Wade to continue to be held at the jail in Pulaski County to keep him out of harm's way after cooperating in the Porter County murder case.
Wade pleaded guilty a year ago to felony counts of carjacking and confinement stemming from accusations of abducting his former girlfriend at knifepoint in July 2010 and returned the following day to commit the same offense against the woman and her daughter.
Wade showed up in a different courtroom during the third week of the McCowan murder trial in February to tell jurors how McCowan had told him while they were locked up together he was concerned about police discovering blood and gun powder evidence in connection with the slaying of Portage resident Amanda Bach, 19.
McCowan said he accidentally struck Bach in the nose on the night in question while reaching for her cellphone and some of her blood may have dripped on the carpet of his home, Wade said. McCowan also reportedly told Wade he was getting a sweatshirt for the blood and the sweatshirt may have gun power residue on it from him shooting earlier while wearing it.
Wade said McCowan told him when he realized he still had Bach's cellphone after she left, he discarded it in an abandoned house near where he lived. McCowan said his father later found Bach's phone, Wade said.
McCowan's defense team accused Wade of lying in hopes of easing his sentence in the carjacking and criminal confinement case.
McCowan was sentenced last week to a near-maximum 60 years behind bars for the Sept. 16, 2011 shooting death of Bach, who was his former girlfriend.
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No charges will be filed against Elliott McCowan in Bach murder
VALPARAISO | No charges will be filed against Elliott McCowan, the father of convicted murderer Dustin McCowan, in the death of Amanda Bach.
Sgt. Larry LaFlower, Porter County Sheriff's Department's public information officer, issued a statement Friday morning saying the decision has been made not to pursue charges against the elder McCowan. He said the decision was reached by his department and the Porter County prosecutor's office because there is no probable cause at this time.
That, he said, will end the investigation into any possible role Elliott McCowan may have played in Bach's death or in the attempt to cover up the murder.
LaFlower said the investigation could be reopened if his department receives new information in the case.
Elliott McCowan is a Crown Point police officer.
Dustin McCowan was sentenced to the near-maximum 60 years in prison for the Sept. 16, 2011, murder of his former girlfriend, Bach, of Portage. Bach was 19 at the time of her death.
Dustin McCowan, 20, was sentenced March 28 after being convicted of shooting Bach in the throat during the early morning hours after she showed up at the Union Township home he was living in at the time with his father. Bach's body was found the following day less than 300 yards from the house in a wooded area along County Road 625 West at the Canadian National Railroad tracks.
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Elliott McCowan greets friends and supporters March 28 outside the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso following the sentencing of his son Dustin McCowan.
Sgt. Larry LaFlower, Porter County Sheriff's Department's public information officer, issued a statement Friday morning saying the decision has been made not to pursue charges against the elder McCowan. He said the decision was reached by his department and the Porter County prosecutor's office because there is no probable cause at this time.
That, he said, will end the investigation into any possible role Elliott McCowan may have played in Bach's death or in the attempt to cover up the murder.
LaFlower said the investigation could be reopened if his department receives new information in the case.
Elliott McCowan is a Crown Point police officer.
Dustin McCowan was sentenced to the near-maximum 60 years in prison for the Sept. 16, 2011, murder of his former girlfriend, Bach, of Portage. Bach was 19 at the time of her death.
Dustin McCowan, 20, was sentenced March 28 after being convicted of shooting Bach in the throat during the early morning hours after she showed up at the Union Township home he was living in at the time with his father. Bach's body was found the following day less than 300 yards from the house in a wooded area along County Road 625 West at the Canadian National Railroad tracks.
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Elliott McCowan greets friends and supporters March 28 outside the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso following the sentencing of his son Dustin McCowan.
raine1953- Administration
- Join date : 2010-01-21
McCowan fails in first bid to overturn murder conviction
VALPARAISO | Dustin McCowan has failed in his first shot at overturning his 60-year sentence and conviction for murdering former girlfriend Amanda Bach.
Porter Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa on Friday tossed out claims that he erred by not stepping aside after learning about a telephone call with McCowan from the jail that included derogatory and threatening remarks about prosecutors, police and their family members.
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Porter Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa on Friday tossed out claims that he erred by not stepping aside after learning about a telephone call with McCowan from the jail that included derogatory and threatening remarks about prosecutors, police and their family members.
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raine1953- Administration
- Join date : 2010-01-21
Suit targets convicted murderer Dustin McCowan, his father
VALPARAISO | The parents of murder victim Amanda Bach have filed a civil lawsuit against the young man responsible for her death and his father.
William and Sandra Bach are seeking an unspecified amount of money in their suit against Dustin McCowan and his father, Joseph Elliott McCowan.
The Bachs are claiming they are entitled to reasonable compensation from Dustin McCowan for their loss.
The suit accuses Joseph McCowan of contributing to the murder by not properly securing his firearms, one of which Dustin McCowan is believed to have used to shoot and kill 19-year-old Bach on Sept. 16, 2011.
"Defendant, Joseph Elliott McCowan, had a duty to properly secure his firearms when he was not home," the suit states.
The Bachs cite the Indiana Child Wrongful Death statute to justify their claim against Joseph McCowan.
Dustin McCowan was sentenced in March to 60 years in prison for murdering the Portage resident, who was a former girlfriend.
A jury heard evidence for nearly a month before finding him guilty of shooting Bach in the throat during the early morning hours after she showed up at the Union Township home he was living in at the time with his father. Bach's partially clothed body was found the following day less than 300 yards from the house in a wooded area along County Road 625 West at the Canadian National Railroad tracks.
County police have said they believe Joseph McCowan, a Crown Point police officer, may have aided his son in attempting to cover up the murder.
Dustin McCowan failed in his first shot at overturning his sentence and conviction in May. Porter Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa tossed out claims that he erred by not stepping aside after learning about a telephone call with McCowan from the jail that included derogatory and threatening remarks about prosecutors, police and their family members.
An appeal is expected in the case.
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William and Sandra Bach are seeking an unspecified amount of money in their suit against Dustin McCowan and his father, Joseph Elliott McCowan.
The Bachs are claiming they are entitled to reasonable compensation from Dustin McCowan for their loss.
The suit accuses Joseph McCowan of contributing to the murder by not properly securing his firearms, one of which Dustin McCowan is believed to have used to shoot and kill 19-year-old Bach on Sept. 16, 2011.
"Defendant, Joseph Elliott McCowan, had a duty to properly secure his firearms when he was not home," the suit states.
The Bachs cite the Indiana Child Wrongful Death statute to justify their claim against Joseph McCowan.
Dustin McCowan was sentenced in March to 60 years in prison for murdering the Portage resident, who was a former girlfriend.
A jury heard evidence for nearly a month before finding him guilty of shooting Bach in the throat during the early morning hours after she showed up at the Union Township home he was living in at the time with his father. Bach's partially clothed body was found the following day less than 300 yards from the house in a wooded area along County Road 625 West at the Canadian National Railroad tracks.
County police have said they believe Joseph McCowan, a Crown Point police officer, may have aided his son in attempting to cover up the murder.
Dustin McCowan failed in his first shot at overturning his sentence and conviction in May. Porter Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa tossed out claims that he erred by not stepping aside after learning about a telephone call with McCowan from the jail that included derogatory and threatening remarks about prosecutors, police and their family members.
An appeal is expected in the case.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
raine1953- Administration
- Join date : 2010-01-21
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