Logan Bowman: Remains of Virginia boy who went missing 20 years ago identified after mom pled guilty

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

GALAX, VIRGINIA: In a heartbreaking development in the enduring cold case, the remains of the 5-year-old boy who disappeared in January 2003 have been located. 

Logan Bowman's remains were discovered  in September 2022, and authorities have officially verified them to be those of the missing boy.

What are the charges placed on Cynthia Davis?

To provide background, Logan Bowman, a five-year-old, disappeared in Grayson County.

The Grayson County Police charged Cynthia Davis, the biological mother of the 5-year-old, and her then-boyfriend Dennis Schermerhorn in relation to Bowman's disappearance. 

In February, Davis pleaded guilty in Grayson County Circuit Court to two counts of child neglect and one count of homicide.

She was sentenced to 10 years in prison for each child neglect count, with suspended sentences. Additionally, she received a 30-year sentence for homicide, with 15 years suspended as reported by The Sun.

What did Sheriff Kevin Kemp say?

According to WSLS, Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp expressed astonishment at what he described as an unprecedented occurrence, stating, "These are very rare circumstances that do not happen very often, so we understand the importance and the rarity of this circumstance. So to say I’m not in shock with the outcome I think would be understating it a little bit."

The discovery unfolded when an out-of-town individual purchased the property and noticed the remains in a trash bag.

Sheriff Kemp shared, “It was a day where I first thought, ‘What if these could be the remains of Logan Bowman?’”

Several months later, the forensic genealogy company Othram, based in Texas, became involved.

Chief Development Officer Dr. Kristen Mittelman and her team utilized forensic genome sequencing on the boy's remains, which were found decades later, acknowledging the significant degradation.

Mittelman emphasized the challenges of prosecuting a murder without a body, stating, “It’s hard to prosecute a murder if you don’t have a body, because there’s always that doubt brought in."

Sheriff Kemp affirmed their commitment to pursuing charges, stating, “I want people to know that we don’t give up. And you may not know every little thing going on, it may be quiet for a little while, but this is proof that just because you don’t hear something every single week, it doesn’t mean there’s not work being done. We’ll do everything we can to press whatever charges need to be pressed.”