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American Morning

How Do You Survive Being Buried Alive?

Aired February 20, 2002 - 09:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: "The Big Question" this hour is, how do you survive being buried alive? A bizarre story out of Alabama, a man came back from the grave literally to help police capture the two men he says killed his 12-year-old son. Police say the 54-year-old Forrest Bowyer spent hours Sunday night buried in a shallow grave. When he managed to dig himself out, he flagged down a motorist who was a little skeptical at first. Can't blame him for that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW EVENSON, FOUND BOWYER: When he took his towel away, or his rag away from his throat, I said, good Lord, and then he started telling my the story of what happen and where his son was, and it was just unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAFFERTY: Once convinced, they called the police. Russell County sheriff Tommy Boswell took charge of that investigation. And he joins us this morning from Phoenix City, Alabama with more on what I would guess sheriff is probably the most bizarre case you've ever been involved in.

Take us through what happened. Tell us the story here.

TOMMY BOSWELL, RUSSELL COUNTY, ALABAMA SHERIFF: Right, it was Sunday night, and our victim was at home with his 12-year-old son when two individuals came to the house and pretended to be police officers until they got control of him, and then they demanded money and they took him down in the county. Again, they demanded money. They then went back to the house and got money, went back to the county again, and at this point, they cut the adult victim's throats. As he was laying there bleeding, they dug a grave for him. They then took his son, his 12-year-old son, over there and next to grave and shot him three times with a handgun, a 38. They put both of them in the grave and covered them up with dirt.

And after they left, the man wasn't dead. He managed to dig himself out of the grave. He checked his son, and his son was dead, so he then walked to the highway, about a quarter of a mile away, and flagged down a passing motorist.

CAFFERTY: You spent yesterday afternoon with the man who dug himself out of the ground, Mr. Boyer. Was he conscious during the time that they were killing his son?

BOSWELL: Yes, he was. He was weak from loss of blood.

CAFFERTY: Sure.

BOSWELL: Laying on the ground. But he was able to witness the killing of his son.

CAFFERTY: Have you ever encountered anything approaching this kind of story in your years in law enforcement?

BOSWELL: This is a very bizarre case, and it's a tragedy for our community.

CAFFERTY: I can imagine.

BOSWELL: Especially over the loss of the 12-year-old.

CAFFERTY: Oh, sure. You've got these two suspects in custody now?

BOSWELL: We began with information that he was able to give us. He gave us a description of the vehicle. And he knew a name for one of the individuals. He did not let on that he knew who the individual was during the incident, but he was able to us who one of them were. A few hours later, the Phoenix City police department started the car that was used which he had given the description of, and then we were able to arrest the other one.

CAFFERTY: Are those...

BOSWELL: We've been able...

CAFFERTY: I didn't mean to interrupt. Are they local guys, the two suspects?

BOSWELL: They are. From here and then the next county north of us. They both are familiar to us.

CAFFERTY: Did Mr. Bowyer know? You said he could identify one of the suspects? But did he have any kind of relationship with these two men? Did he know them previously to this on personal level, or business relationship, or was there any relationship at all there?

BOSWELL: One of the individuals, the one that he identified to us, he knew from just being around town. Mr. Bower in the used car business, and the other individual was a repo man, so he knew him from being around town.

CAFFERTY: How is Mr. Bowyer is doing?

BOSWELL: Mr. Bowyer is doing fine physically. He is really having a hard time coping with the mental, emotional part of the incident.

CAFFERTY: I can imagine that. Are you satisfied that this was just a case of robbery and nothing more?

BOSWELL: We feel like that it was a robbery. Mr. Bowyer had a reputation for keeping large sums of money, which a lot of used car people do. They have cash in their business. And they went there to rob him.

CAFFERTY: Wow. Sheriff Boswell, I appreciate you sharing your experience with us here this morning. That's quite a story. Good luck in the prosecution of the case. Nice to have you on AMERICAN MORNING.

Tommy Boswell, sheriff of Russell County, Alabama.

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