In the spring of 2009, the life of 28-year-old Catherine Marie D'Onofrio was tragically cut short in New York City. On March 8th, she was fatally shot in the head in a Greenpoint, Brooklyn apartment by her ex-boyfriend, Jerry Bowens, a former NYPD officer. At the time of the incident, another woman, Melissa Simmons, who was also 28, was with D'Onofrio and sustained injuries from a gunshot to her arm and a graze wound to her head, but she survived the attack.
The events leading up to the
fatal encounter revealed a troubled history for Bowens, who had recently resigned from the police force. A month prior to the shooting, he had secretly pleaded guilty to a felony drug dealing charge. His relationship with D'Onofrio had also deteriorated. Court documents indicate that D'Onofrio had ended their relationship, a decision evidenced by emails, the removal of a tattoo of his name, and her starting a new relationship. On the night before her death, Bowens had been repeatedly calling and texting her.
Following the shooting, a manhunt for Jerry Bowens ensued. He was arrested the next day, on March 9, 2009, on Staten Island and was subsequently taken to Kings County Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Investigations revealed a chilling 'hit list' that Bowens had created, with Catherine D'Onofrio's name at the top.
In January 2011, Jerry Bowens, then 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of Catherine D'Onofrio. His plea also included charges of attempted murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. As a result of his guilty plea, he faced a sentence of 30 to 40 years to life in prison.
