Tarica Ann Pulliam, a 27-year-old African American woman, was tragically shot and killed outside her Wilmington, NC home on August 6, 2008. Pulliam, who worked as a detention officer for the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, was shot multiple times and later died at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She had been employed with the sheriff's office for two years and left behind a 7-year-old daughter.
The primary suspect in Pulliam's murder was her ex-boyfriend, Anthony Antwan Bowen,
a 30-year-old African American man. Bowen was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Pulliam's death. Authorities reported that Bowen and Pulliam had lived together until April 2008, when Pulliam filed for a domestic violence protective order against him. In her affidavit, Pulliam detailed an incident where Bowen choked her until she nearly lost consciousness and punched her in the jaw. Bowen was subsequently charged with assault on a female, second-degree kidnapping, and assault by strangulation for this incident. He was also charged with first-degree kidnapping in a separate case involving another woman.
Following Pulliam's murder, authorities launched a manhunt for Bowen, who was considered armed and dangerous. He was last seen driving a silver Ford Taurus with the license plate number VYE3086. Despite efforts to locate him, Bowen remained at large for some time. Eventually, Bowen was found dead, having committed suicide. This tragic series of events left Pulliam's family and the community in mourning, as they grappled with the loss of a dedicated officer and mother.
