Marshall John H. Bowman was the first Punta Gorda peace officer to lose his life. He was assassinated by a suspect that fired a shotgun blast through a screened front window of his home on Taylor Street in Punta Gorda. It was believed he was shot in response to his tough stance against drinking and gambling. His wife and four children were present when he was killed.
The suspect of murdering Bowman was Isiah E. Cooper. Cooper strongly denied guilt but was arrested, tried, and convicted to be hanged. After several appeals, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Ten years later he escaped from a work gang and was never seen again.
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