In the small town of Moberly, Missouri, a tragic event unfolded on November 21, 2015, ending the life of 16-year-old Kelsey Annette Bowen. A junior at Moberly High School, Kelsey was known by her family and friends as a quiet, beautiful, loving, and innocent person who enjoyed being outdoors and spending time with her mother and sister.
On that fateful morning, around 6:30 a.m., the Bowen residence was entered by 17-year-old Alexander Hewgley, with whom Kelsey had previously been in a
relationship. Armed with a revolver, Hewgley fatally shot Kelsey and her 22-year-old sister, Jessica Bowen, before turning the gun on himself in a double homicide and suicide. When Randolph County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered one of the sisters had already passed away, while the other was critically injured. The critically injured sister was rushed to a local hospital, but ultimately succumbed to her injuries. Hewgley was also transported to a hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died.
The motive for the devastating act was attributed to Hewgley's past relationship with Kelsey. The community was left in shock and mourning, with Moberly High School, where Kelsey was a junior, and the Columbia Area Career Center, where Jessica was enrolled in the nursing program, providing counseling services for students and staff to cope with the profound loss. As the perpetrator died at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with the deaths of Kelsey and Jessica Bowen, and the case was closed after the investigation confirmed the sequence of events.
