Right: Age-progressed by NCMEC to 60 years
Right: Age-progressed by NCMEC to 60 years
Name: Thomas Eldon Bowman
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: March 23, 1957
Location Last Seen: Altadena, Los Angeles County, California
Date of Birth: January 6, 1949
Age: 8 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 4'0"
Weight: 50 lbs.
Hair Color: Dark Blonde
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Tommy
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available
Clothing: T-shirt, blue plaid shirt, brown shoes, and jeans.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Davy Crockett belt buckle.
Tommy was last seen walking with family members on a trail in Arroyo Seco Canyon. He ran ahead to the family vehicle, and when his family members arrived at the vehicle, Tommy was not there.
He is suspected to have been one of the victims of Mack Ray Edwards, who, on March 6, 1970, surrendered himself to Los Angeles police and confessed to molesting and murdering 6 children between 1953 and 1970. He was arrested, pled guilty to three of the killings, and was sentenced to death. Before committing suicide in his cell on death row in 1971, he claimed to have murdered 18 children. One of those children was most likely Tommy Bowman.
In August 2006, author Weston DeWalt got to interview the widow of Edwards and her family. During that interview, it was revealed that Edwards gave his wife a confessional letter that admitted Edwards murdered Tommy. One key link that made this probable was that Edwards' employer, Kirst Construction, kept an equipment yard less than half a mile from where Tommy was kidnapped at the Arroyo Seco.
Edwards was convicted of the murders of Gary Rocha (also seen in news articles with the last name of Rochet), Donald Allen Todd, Stella Darlene Nolan. The remaining three confessed killings were that of Donald Lee Baker, Brenda Jo Howell, and Roger Dale Madison. He is suspected also in the disappearances of Bruce Kremen, Karen Lynn Tompkins, Ramona Irene Price, and the murder of Dorothy Gale Brown.
Agency Name: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: Detective Vivian Flores
Agency Phone Number: 323-526-5541
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 004-00030-3100-402
Agency Name: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Tamar Abraham
Agency Phone Number: 323-890-5500
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 004-00030-3100-402
Agency Name: Pasadena Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Investigator Kate Favara
Agency Phone Number: 626-744-7105
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: N/A
NamUs Case Number: 5867
NCIC Case Number: M753904993
NCMEC Case Number: 985024
NamUs
NCMEC
CA DOJ
Press Telegram (Long Beach, CA) - Aug. 29, 1961
Los Angeles Times - Mar. 17, 2007
Los Angeles Weekly Oct. 6, 2008
Added: 01/06/2006; Last Updated: 01/05/2024 - By: hb
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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