Benton man sentenced to life for murdering his sister and brother in law

Nearly 16 months to the day after a Waldo woman and her husband were fatally shot to death in their home, the man who admitted to pulling the trigger twice, learned his fate.

68-year old Glenn Brown is Tina’s brother. He pleaded no contest in March to two counts of murder.

As Joy Hollowell reports, an ongoing battle over a family member’s estate boiled over into the courtroom Monday.

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“I order, as a sentence, in the Count 1 charge, a sentence of life in prison,” said Waldo County Superior Court Judge Robert E Murray, sentencing Glenn Brown to two concurrent life sentences Monday.

Brown never denied he shot his sister, Tina Bowden and her husband, Richard “Dick” Bowden, both 64, in their Waldo home on October 5th, 2020. In fact, that very day he walked into the Belfast Police Department, telling officers he quote “shot two exotic birds.”

But in a Belfast courtroom Monday, Brown continued to deny he went to the Bowden’s home that day intending to cause harm.

“Things went absolutely crazy, out of hand and we all know the end result of that,” Brown told the judge,

But the state argued it was premeditated murder.

“There was only one purpose for obtaining or bringing that gun,” says Leane Zainea, Assistant Attorney General. “He then went to the bank and drained his savings and checking accounts. That envelope filled with money was left at his brother’s home and it was addressed to his wife.”

Glen, Tina and other siblings were involved in an ongoing and often bitter struggle over the estate of their stepfather. In 2019, Tina obtained a protection from abuse order against another brother after he allegedly assaulted her.

In court Monday, family members gave differing accounts of what they believe led up to the fatal shootings.

“Every day of my life since October 5th, of 2020 has been nothing short of traumatic,” says Tina’s daughter, Diahanne Morse Bowden, reading her victim impact statement in the courtroom.

“What happened on October 5th was the results of power, control, time and pressure,” Deborah Brown, Glenn’s sister-in-law, told the judge. “These events didn’t occur in a vacuum.”

“My heart breaks for my family today,” says Glenn’s brother, Michael Brown. He pauses to regain his composure. “I sat down in the middle of the room because part of my family is over here and part is over there.”

Brown’s defense team pointed to their client’s lack of a criminal record, exemplary work history and no contest plea as reasons for a terms of years sentence instead. Brown himself, also spoke.

“I do want to express my deepest sorrow and apologize for my actions to all of the families,” he said, turning around to address those sitting on both sides of the courtroom.

“Obviously there is significant rift between both sides of the family and if today helps to resolve that and eliminate distance between the two, then that’s a positive,” said Brown’s attorney, Jeffrey Silverstein outside the courthouse after the sentencing.

“It’s unfortunate and it’s even more unfortunate that it led to the death of Tina and Richard,” says Assistant Attorney General Leane Zainea. " It didn’t need to happen.”

In addition to the two concurrent life sentences, Brown was also ordered to pay nearly $17,000 in restitution for funeral and burial costs.

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