Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

High court upholds sex assault conviction

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Thursday upheld the conviction of John Bowyer, found guilty of the sexual assault of his mentally disabled adult niece and then trying to contract for her murder.

The court rejected claims by Bowyer's lawyers that District Judge Sally Loehrer made four errors at trial and said the evidence against the defendant was overwhelming.

Bowery brought his niece, Aimee Lindsey, to his apartment, showed her pornographic videos and then engaged in multiple sex acts with her. She had the mental capacity of an 11-year-old, according to testimony at the trial.

While in jail awaiting trial, Bowyer offered another prisoner $10,000 to kill Aimee. He later repeated this offer to an undercover police detective posing as a contract killer.

During his trial, it was disclosed that Bowyer offered to pay Aimee's mother $30,000 in exchange for dropping the charges.

Bowyer claimed that it was improper to join the sexual assault and solicitation to commit murder charge, since they were not part of a common scheme or plan. But the high court said the two acts were clearly linked.

"While Bowyer solicited the murder of Aimee well after the commission of the sexual assault, there is little doubt that the solicitation was inspired by the threat of Aimee's impending testimony," the court said.

On the one count of sexual assault, Bowyer was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 10 years. On the solicitation count, he was sentenced to a consecutive 26 months to 120 months and ordered to pay restitution of $5,395.

Bowyer's first trial in 2001 ended in a mistrial when the prosecution made improper remarks in closing statements.

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