MILAN, Ill. — A Milan man will spend decades in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder.
On Monday, Dec. 11, Ward Davis was sentenced to 55 years in prison, with credit for time served, after previously pleading guilty to hitting 54-year-old Julie Bowser "multiple times with a hammer" during an incident at Pineview Apartments on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. The assault caused severe head trauma and ultimately led to her death about five days later. Additional charges of aggravated assault and attempted arson were dropped under the plea agreement.
A neighbor in the apartment building told News 8 that he was the one who called 911 the day of the assault. He said he saw smoke and found a burning gas can inside the apartment laundry room. After making that discovery, he found Bowser lying unresponsive on the ground, about 20 feet away from her apartment door. The neighbor stayed with Bowser until help arrived.
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