After nearly two years, the family and friends of Coyoete Kathren Cheyenne Turner have found a measure of closure as John Leonard Bowen Jr., 48, was sentenced to life in prison for her 2023 murder.
Columbia County Circuit Judge Melissa Olin handed down the sentence on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, after finding Bowen guilty of Second-Degree Murder.
Bowen also pleaded to a charge of Tampering with Evidence, receiving an additional sentence of 23.1 years in prison, to be served consecutively with his life sentence.
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The tragic discovery of 18-year-old Coyoete Turner’s partially burned body rocked the Columbia County community on Sunday, September 3, 2023. Columbia County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to 981 SW Haltiwanger Road after a report of a body at the property’s entrance at approximately 11:37 a.m.
The investigation quickly focused on John Leonard Bowen Jr. as the primary suspect. Detectives noted inconsistencies in Bowen’s statements regarding his whereabouts during the time of the murder.
This, coupled with extensive physical and electronic evidence, led investigators to focus on him. Following post-Miranda statements made to detectives, Bowen was arrested and charged with Turner’s murder on Thursday, September 7, 2023.
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The successful resolution of this case is a testament to the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Patrol and Criminal Investigations Divisions led the investigation, with crucial assistance from the Third Judicial Circuit State Attorney Investigator, Florida Highway Patrol, the Medical Examiner’s Office of Jacksonville, the State of Florida Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
John Leonard Bowen Jr., a resident of Lake City, will now spend the rest of his life behind bars for his crimes against Coyoete Kathren Cheyenne Turner, bringing a sense of justice to a grieving community.
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