Gary Ray Bowles

Serial Killer

Gary Ray Bowles: The I-95 Killer

Gary Ray Bowles was an American serial killer whose crimes created fear along the Interstate 95 corridor during 1994. Over the course of approximately eight months, Bowles killed six men in Florida, Maryland, and Georgia, moving from one city to another while investigators in several jurisdictions struggled to connect the violent deaths. His victims were gay men, several of whom had allowed Bowles into their homes or provided him with a temporary place to stay. After gaining their trust, Bowles repeatedly used extreme violence and then stole property, money, credit cards, or vehicles that helped him continue traveling. Born on January 25, 1962, in Clifton Forge, Virginia, Bowles experienced a troubled childhood and later spent much of his adult life moving between homelessness, sex work, criminal activity, and incarceration. Long before the 1994 murders, he had demonstrated a capacity for serious violence. In 1982, he was convicted in Florida of sexual battery and aggravated battery involving his girlfriend. He later accumulated additional convictions, including robbery, and spent substantial periods in prison. He was released from incarceration near the end of 1993, only months before the first murder in the series attributed to him.

The Beginning of the 1994 Murder Spree

The first known victim was John Hardy Roberts in Daytona Beach, Florida. Roberts had allowed Bowles to stay with him. On March 15, 1994, Bowles attacked Roberts inside his residence, striking him in the head with a lamp during a violent confrontation. Bowles then strangled Roberts and forced a rag into his mouth. After the killing, Bowles emptied Roberts' pockets and stole his money, credit cards, keys, wallet, and automobile. The Roberts crime scene would later become extremely important to investigators. Bowles left behind evidence identifying him, including fingerprints and paperwork connected to his probation. Authorities also discovered evidence that Roberts' financial cards had been used after his death. Although police quickly developed Bowles as a suspect, he had already left Daytona Beach, beginning a pattern in which stolen property and vehicles helped him remain mobile.

David Alan Jarman

Bowles next surfaced in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. David Alan Jarman, a 39-year-old credit union employee from Wheaton, Maryland, was seen with a man matching Bowles' description after visiting a gay bar in Washington. On April 14, 1994, Jarman was found dead inside his basement apartment. He had been beaten and strangled. Jarman's automobile, credit cards, identification, and other property were missing. Investigators subsequently traced the use of one of his credit cards to a Baltimore-area motel, and handwriting associated with the transaction helped strengthen the case against Bowles. Montgomery County authorities eventually charged Bowles with Jarman's murder, but by that point he had again disappeared. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

John Hardy Roberts Age: (59), Date of Death: March 15, 1994

Gary Ray Bowles - Wikipedia