Columbia County Murder Suspects Back in Court

Columbia County, GA—Attorneys for murder suspects Rebecca Sears and Christopher Bowers say Tuesday’s hearing was standard procedure for a death penalty case. “One of the things it covers is to make sure the defendant is satisfied with their counsel, what they are doing, how they are proceeding. To make sure all motions are heard and considered, and make sure nothing’s overlooked that needs to be done to make sure the whole proceeding meets the constitutional mandate,“ says Jacque Hawk, attorney for Christopher Bowers.

Investigators say 41-year-old Sears and her 20-year old son, Bowers, beat their neighbor, Kay Parsons, with a baseball bat and a claw hammer in her garage, back in March. Parsons died from her injuries the day after the attack.

Right now the defendant’s cases are together, but attorneys say a motion to separate them is coming. “I think it’s important because some of the evidence that may be admissible against one defendant is not against another defendant in the same vice versa. In order to make sure that you have a fair trial you make sure you have that severance under those circumstances especially in the death penalty case,” says Victor Hawk, attorney for Rebecca Sears.

The attorneys, who are also brothers, say this case is only in the beginning stages and that talk of a plea deal is premature. “It’s too early to say as to whether or not this case is going to be resolved short of trial. There’s a lot of evidence out there, but it hasn’t been determined what evidence is going to be admissible against which defendant. If it is going to resolve, it will resolve just before trial or just as trial’s beginning,” says Jacque Hawk.

“We have pleaded not guilty and we’re working to prove she’s innocent and that’s where we’re going. So we’re likely to be at trial next year,” says Victor Hawk.

Another hearing is on the calendar in six weeks. The attorney for Sears asked that police preserve the rough notes from their interrogation of his client. He says there is a two and a half hour gap in the transcription of the interview.