Rebecca Sears

Parties

• Rebecca Sears — defendant; mother of Christopher Sean Bowers.
• Christopher Sean Bowers — defendant; son of Rebecca Sears.

Victim

• Laverne “Kay” Parsons — victim; mother and neighbor/co-worker; died from a beating.

Background

Rebecca Bowers Sears and her son Christopher Sean Bowers pled guilty to the 2009 beating death of Laverne “Kay” Parsons.

Prosecutors previously said Sears had an affair with Parsons’ husband and orchestrated the murder to eliminate her romantic rival.

The offence

Laverne “Kay” Parsons was found beaten and bloody in the garage of her Grovetown home in March 2009.

Authorities accused Sears and Bowers of beating Parsons to death with a bat and a claw hammer. Deputies said she had been beaten very severely and struck numerous times.

Prosecutors also said Sears and Bowers staged a shooting days after Parsons’ murder. The alleged aim was to try to derail the investigation. Investigators said Bowers meant only to threaten his mother with a gun before a “witness” listening from Sears’ mobile phone, but he pulled the trigger and shot Sears in the leg in front of her Augusta workplace.

At the time of the original charge details, the indictment included burglary, armed robbery, malice murder and felony murder. The indictment said Sears and Bowers robbed Parsons and stole her jewelry off her body during the attack, and that Parsons was beaten with a bat and a claw hammer.

Investigation

Columbia County sheriff’s deputies found a beaten and bloody Parsons in the garage of her Grovetown home in March 2009.

Search warrants were executed at the residences of Sears and Bowers, and authorities seized Sears’ vehicle. Police obtained a search warrant for Sears’ Augusta workplace, Healing Hands Physical Therapy Center on Highland Avenue. Parsons had worked at the Thomson location of the therapy center.

A coroner’s report indicated Parsons suffered severe head injuries from a hammer and a baseball bat found at the scene.

A confidential informant advised that Rebecca Sears was responsible for or involved in the murder of Mrs. Parsons. The confidential informant stated that on more than one occasion Mrs. Sears asked him to kill Mrs. Parsons, and that the confidential informant stated Mrs. Sears asked her sons, Christopher Bowers and Michael Bowers, to murder Mrs. Parsons.

The confidential informant stated he had personal knowledge of Mrs. Sears being involved in a romantic relationship with David Parsons.

Michael Bowers also told investigators he believed his mother was involved in a romantic relationship with David Parsons, and that his mother showed him text messages on her phone that made it clear she was having an affair with someone. Michael Bowers said his mother made it clear to Michael that she wished she knew someone who would kill someone for her.

Arrest

Sears and Bowers were arrested a few days after Parsons’ death in March 2009.

Christopher Sean Bowers was charged with murder and Rebecca Bowers Sears was charged with murder conspiracy in the fatal beating of neighbor Laverne Katherine Parsons. Authorities said it appeared she had interrupted a burglary. Deputies arrested the mother and son a few days later.

Christopher Sean Bowers had a police record and had been charged in May with marijuana possession, driving under the influence of drugs and other traffic-related offenses.

Authorities said no more arrests were expected.

Trial

A Superior Court judge set a potential date for a death penalty trial of Rebecca Bowers Sears, accused of murdering her neighbor and alleged romantic rival. The judge tentatively set aside three weeks after Masters Week for the trial in Evans, and Sears’ lead defense attorney said he did not expect to file any more motions to continue the case.

Sentencing

At the sentencing hearing in Evans on May 11, 2012, Superior Court Judge Sheryl B. Jolly sentenced both Sears and Bowers to life in prison without parole for murder.

Judge Sheryl B. Jolly sentenced both Sears and Bowers to life in prison for armed robbery and 20 years for burglary, with the sentences to be served consecutively.

District Attorney Ashley Wright said the guilty pleas were a good resolution to get the case done quickly.

Defense attorneys negotiated the guilty plea to avoid the possibility of lethal injections.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

• Plead guilty.
• Rebecca Sears and Christopher Sean Bowers were sentenced on May 11, 2012 as follows:
  • Life in prison without parole for murder.
  • Life in prison for armed robbery.
  • 20 years for burglary.
  • The sentences were to be served consecutively.

Other details

• Assistant District Attorney Philip Catalano said: "Policemen discovered the victim had been beaten almost to death by a claw hammer in her living room. The blood trail suggests she fled from Christopher Sean Bowers into the garage where she was ultimately murdered by the blows from the claw hammer."
• Sears’ defense attorney Victor Hawk said: "I haven't really heard anything from the state with regard to real evidence to justify concluding that Rebecca sears killed anyone."
• Sears’ defense attorney Newell Hamilton objected to a question about the victim’s family’s emotional or psychological effects by saying: "We think that entire question is inappropriate and a problem."
• Tony Sears told News 12: "Can Daddy have a kiss?"
• Columbia County Sheriff’s Captain Steve Morris said: "She was an innocent victim. She dropped her child off at school, she came back home and was murdered."
• Tony Sears said: "It's terrible, I can't even think about it. I don't even know what to think about it,"
• Tony Sears said: "No, no."
• Tony Sears said: "No doubt in your mind?"
• Tony Sears said: "There's absolutely no doubt in my mind,"
• Tony Sears said: "Personally, I couldn't see him doing something like that,"
• Rene' Alexander said: "No doubt whatsoever,"
• Tony Sears said: "Do they understand?"
• Rene' said: "Not really,"
• Rene' said: "This is what Becky's missing."
• Rene' said: "She's never gonna get this back."
• Tony Sears said: "Becky's afraid that the smaller boys will forget her in time, so I keep bringing them down there for visitation,"
• Rene' said: "Even if people wonder if Becky and Christopher are innocent, there's no doubt about the fact that the other children are completely innocent,"
• Rene' said: "You can look into their eyes and see that their spirit is still there,"
• Rene' said: "But it's just, your heart breaks for them every time you see them."
• Tony Sears said: "It's extremely hard, and to hear how she's being treated, it just doesn't seem fair,"
• Rene' said: "She's doing as well as expected."
• Rene' said: "She's not that type of person that would be so cruel and vindictive and just--it was a heinous crime, just heinous, and neither of them are heinous people,"
• Tony Sears said: "I think what bothers us the most is they're so set on Becky and Christopher they aren't even looking for the real person who has done this,"
• Tony Sears said: "You feel like they've already been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion,"
• Rene' said: "You immediately want someone to blame."
• Rene' said: "You immediately want a reason why."
• Rene' said: "You don't want it to be a random act, because you don't want to think it could happen to you."
• Tony Sears said: "With the kids and with my job, I'm pretty busy, so it kind of takes my mind off it,"
• Rene' Alexander said: "You go to sleep one night and you wake up the next day and your entire life has changed,"
• News 12 quoted the confidential informant advising: "a confidential informant advised he believed Rebecca Sears was responsible for or involved in the murder of Mrs. Parsons."
• The confidential informant stated: "more than one occasion Mrs. Sears asked him to kill Mrs. Parsons...[the] confidential informant stated Mrs. Parsons."
• Sears being involved in a romantic relationship with Mrs. Parsons' Husband, David Parsons."
• Michael Bowers said: "he believed his mother was involved in a romantic relationship with David Parsons."
• Michael Bowers said: "his mother showed him text messages on her phone that made it clear she was having an affair with someone."
• Rene' said: "Let's just wait and see how the facts turn out,"
• The bond hearing included the assistant district attorney statement: "The blood trail suggests [Kay Parsons] fled from Christopher Sean Bowers into the garage where she was ultimately murdered by the blows from the claw hammer."
• Tony Sears said: "I don't believe none of that, and I believe she's innocent."
• Tony Sears said: "It just doesn't seem fair,"
• Tony Sears said: "I've always thought, 'Well you're in jail. It's not supposed to be fair.' Until something like this does happen, then you realize what they're going through."
• Tony Sears said: "I mean, it's gut-wrenching what they think should be done to Becky and Christopher."
• Tony Sears said: "You already know what's already at the end of the trial,"
• Tony Sears said: "I try not to think about it too much. I don't want to think about it."
• Rene' said: "You have to plan for the worst and hope for the best,"
• Rene' said: "We are going to stand behind them all the way through and just hope and pray the truth comes out and we'll all be back together again,"
• Tony Sears said: "What keeps me sane is I know that soon it will be over and the truth will come out,"