CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A man suspected of attacking women for years in Clayton County appeared to show no emotion as he faced a judge Wednesday morning.
Clayton County police arrested Kenneth Thomas Bowen III, 24, Tuesday after they say they linked his DNA to seven rapes and one sexual battery since 2015. All eight of his victims lived within a 2-mile radius of his home, investigators said.
Police said Bowen was a onetime recruit with the department, but they say they terminated him before he finished the academy because of unexplained absences.
Channel 2's Tom Jones was in the courtroom on Wednesday morning when Bowen made his first appearance.
Jones said Bowen stared straight ahead as a judge read out the seven counts of rape and one count of sexual battery he faces. Judge Wanda Dallas denied him bail on all eight charges.
"His expression was like he was in court for a speeding ticket," Jones said.
Channel 2 Action News has covered Bowen's alleged attacks in Clayton County since 2015.
In a news conference Wednesday morning, authorities described in detail how they're tracked down Bowen and how they used surveillance before arresting him.
Clayton County Police Chief Kevin Roberts said officers search 911 calls for suspicious persons for the last few years. Investigators said they also pressed the victims on the smallest details, including certain tattoos, to narrow it down to Bowen.
"Without these victims coming forward and being brave enough to talk about what happened we would not have caught this guy," Lt. Thomas Reimers said.
Jones spoke to a victim who said she wanted to jump for joy now that police have made an arrest.
"I'm more than happy that he is in custody," the victim said. "I want him to do the maximum time for all the people he hurt. My biggest question is, why the hell did it take so long?"
The victim, who didn't want to be identified, helped rescue another woman a year after someone broke into her home and tried to assault her -- possibly Bowen.
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The woman Jones talked to said she and her neighbor were attacked nearly a year apart.
She told Jones she was assaulted in June 2017. The second attack happened in July 2018.
"Almost 13 months (later) to the day, he kicked in the door of a young lady two doors down from me," she said in a phone call with Jones.
The second victim told Jones in July 2018 that her attacker broke in, choked her and then started dragging her.
"As he was dragging me to that back wooded area, I knew that if he got me back there, that was it for me," that victim said.
Luckily, her neighbor who had also been assaulted came to her aid.
"And I told you, that was the same person that had assaulted me," the first victim said.
Police said they there could be more victims. The first victim who Jones talked to is sure of it.
"How many young ladies have experienced what I experience?" she said. "How many young ladies don't report?"
Cox Media Group
