Man charged with teen's killing

~ Police said Jacob Bowers was shot while trying to rob a drug dealer.

A 19-year-old man was charged in the slaying of a Cape Girardeau teen for what police said was an attempted robbery of a drug dealer.

Bernard P. Richards, of an unknown address, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. His bond was set at $200,000.

He is accused in the Wednesday night shooting of Jacob Bowers, 17, of 1908 Bloomfield St., behind Du-Shell's Furniture, 2103 William St.

Bowers and a friend had planned to meet a drug dealer, whom Bowers planned to rob, according to a news release from the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Richards, who accompanied the dealer, shot Bowers in the back during the attempted robbery, police said.

Police responded to Good Hope Street and Spring Avenue around 8:20 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a report of a fight and shots fired. When officers arrived, a man approached and told them his friend had been shot.

Bowers was found dead near a Dumpster in a loading area behind Du-Shell's. He died from a single gunshot wound to the torso, an autopsy showed.

Both Richards and Bowers had possessed handguns, police Sgt. Barry Hovis said.

Richards had previously been arrested Jan. 5 during a traffic stop, according to Hovis. Following a search of his vehicle, police found 3.6 grams of marijuana and 17.7 grams of suspected cocaine.

Richards was charged with drug trafficking, two counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond for the drug charges was $35,000.

Hovis declined to provide further details about the homicide case, including what kinds of drugs, if any, were recovered from the scene. The investigation into the circumstances of the shooting is ongoing, he said.

Bowers is survived by his mother and father, Kristi and Kendall Bowers, his older brother Joshua and younger sister Jillian.

He had attended Central High School before leaving and earning his GED in 2005.

Bowers was a member of Cape Bible Chapel and was a former participant in the Teen Challenge addiction recovery program. Bowers enjoyed hiking and climbing and was a certified welder.

The funeral was scheduled for at 11 a.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127