In the winter of 2013, the quiet community of Kentwood, Michigan, was shaken by a brutal crime that claimed the lives of a beloved elderly couple. Vivian Bouwman, an 80-year-old Caucasian female, and her husband, David, were found deceased in their home on January 4, 2013. The discovery was made after their Cadillac was found engulfed in flames in a nearby apartment complex parking lot in Wyoming, Michigan.
The couple had been the victims of a violent home invasion.
Investigators determined that both Vivian and her husband had been shot multiple times at close range. The crime scene and the subsequent discovery of their burned vehicle pointed to a robbery that had escalated to a double homicide. The community was left in shock and fear as police began the hunt for those responsible for such a senseless act of violence against a couple described as loving and integral members of their community. The investigation quickly became a high priority for the Kentwood Police Department.
The investigation led police to a suspect named Javonte Higgins. Witnesses reported seeing two men near the Bouwmans' stolen and burning car. Further investigation and witness testimony connected Higgins to the crime. One witness testified to dropping Higgins off near the Bouwman's home on the night of the murders, shortly before a neighbor heard a series of 'popping noises.' Friends of Higgins also testified that he had sought their help in getting rid of a vehicle that matched the description of the Bouwmans' car and had seemed paranoid, mentioning that 'some people got shot.'
Javonte Higgins was arrested in Chicago and, after fighting extradition, was returned to Michigan to face charges. In March 2014, after a trial that included testimony from over 40 prosecution witnesses, a Kent County jury found Higgins guilty on all counts, including two counts of murder. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Higgins had broken into the Bouwmans' home, confronted the couple, and then shot them both in the head before stealing their car and setting it on fire to destroy evidence. In April 2014, Javonte Higgins was sentenced to two life sentences in prison, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murders of Vivian and David Bouwman. The Michigan Court of Appeals later upheld his conviction in October 2015.
