Grand Jury to hear North McPherson murder case

A Christian County grand jury will hear the murder charge against the Hopkinsville man accused in the March 12 murder of 31-year old John Michael Kellems at a North McPherson Street home.

Hopkinsville police arrested 31-year old Lance Bowden last week and charged him with murder.

Detective Randall Greene testified a woman who lived at the house arrived home on the evening of the crime and found Kellems’ body on the floor of a guest bedroom wrapped up in a sheet and bubble wrap and covered with garbage bags.

He was dead from wounds caused by a knife, according the preliminary autopsy results.

Bowden was renting a room at the home and Detective Greene says the investigation turned to him as a suspect after a bloody palm print on a cleaning supply bottle in the home was a match to him.

Detective Greene says bloody shoes allegedly belonging to Bowden were found in the home and in a vehicle, though defense attorney Eric Bearden noted Bowden worked at a local meat processing plant.

He testified that Kellems was homeless and while he did not live in the North McPherson home, he sometimes showered there and spent the night on a couch on rare occasions.

After hearing the testimony, Judge Foster Cotthoff sent the case to the Christian County Grand Jury and left bond at $500,000.

Bowden is also facing a felony auto theft charge from where he allegedly drove a stolen pickup to work in the days following the murder.