Hopwood man seeks new trial in woman’s 2005 death
?A Hopwood man convicted in a woman’s 2005 death wants a Fayette County judge to grant him a new trial because, he claimed on Tuesday, he should have had a psychological examination before trial.
Eric Bowser, 36, is serving a 20-to-40-year sentence for third-degree murder in the death of April Lincoln, 20, of Martin. He was also convicted of abuse of a corpse following his trial.
Lincoln’s badly composed body was found in Redstone Creek in the city of Uniontown on Aug. 17, 2005, nearly two weeks after she was reported missing. Testimony during his trial indicated that Bowser covered her body up with rocks. Lincoln died of blunt force head injuries and Bowser reportedly told police that she fell and hit her head on a rock. A man who was in prison with Bowser while he was awaiting trial testified Bowser told him he smashed Lincoln’s head in with a rock.
Attorney Jack Connor represented Bowser during his 2008 trial.
Under questioning from his attorney Dianne H. Zerega, Bowser said he told Connor he wanted to have a psychological evaluation “at some point.” Bowser testified that he believes he “kinda blacked out” when he covered up Lincoln’s body.
He told President Judge Gerald R. Solomon that a mental evaluation could have shown evidence of stress.
“I tried to conceal a body without actually realizing I was doing it,” Bowser testified.
When Assistant District Attorney Gene Grimm questioned him, Bowser acknowledged that drugs and alcohol could have had an impact on his state of mind.
Grimm called Connor, who testified that he was aware that there was drug use before and after Lincoln’s death.
“Basically, he was lucid in terms of what happened,” Connor testified.
He said that Bowser, who did not testify during the trial, never discussed having a mental evaluation with him.
Attorney Brent Peck, who filed a no-merit letter in Bowser’s post-conviction appeal two years ago, testified he did not believe a mental examination would have impacted the trial even if it were conducted.
Solomon said he would render a decision at a later date.