Drug, alcohol findings negative
April Lincoln’s family is still grieving her death, but they felt a little better when they learned that toxicology tests found no evidence of drugs or alcohol use, her uncle said. Keith Leadbeater of Smithfield said his niece, Lincoln, 20, completed a substance rehabilitation program and told family members that she was sober.
He said the family was shocked when they read news reports containing statements from the man state police charged with killing Lincoln saying they smoked crack cocaine together.
“Knowing she was sober was a bit of a relief,” Leadbeater said. “There’s still a lot of pain.”
The Fayette County coroner’s office confirmed that toxicology tests were negative for drug and alcohol use.
Lincoln’s body was found covered with rocks in Redstone Creek under a railroad trestle west of West Coffey Street in North Uniontown on Aug. 17.
Eric Lee Bowser, 30, of 148 Bennington Road, Hopwood, has been charged with homicide and abuse of a corpse in Lincoln’s death.
His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 24 before Magisterial District Judge Mark Blair.
Bowser and three other men were the last people seen with Lincoln when her family reported her missing Aug. 6, police said.
During an Aug. 19 interview with police, Bowser said he and Lincoln walked from a vacant apartment on Gilmore Street in Uniontown and to the creek where they smoked crack on Aug. 6, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
He said he heard a noise while he was turned around and then saw her lying on her back and not breathing, according to the affidavit concerning the charges.
He rolled her over and saw blood on the back of her head, watched her for 45 minutes, put her body in the creek and covered her with rocks, according to the affidavit.
Police again interviewed Bowser on Aug. 20 and he said he pushed her and she slipped and hit her head on a rock.
The three other men – Richard Young, Charles Luick and Robert Lee were also interviewed.
According to the affidavit, Young said all four people were at his residence and at Lee’s residence and were partying and smoking crack.
He said he and Luick then dropped off Bowser and Lincoln near the intersection of North Mount Vernon Avenue and Gilmore Street, according to the affidavit.
Luick told police he spent the evening of Aug. 6 smoking crack and marijuana and drinking beer with Young, Lee, Bowser and Lincoln, according to an affidavit. He said he last saw Bowser and Lincoln when he and Young dropped them off.
Lee gave a similar account of that night, police said.
Leadbeater said he doesn’t know if the report will affect the case against Bowser, but it was some good news for the family.
District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon could not be reached for comment.