Bliss soldier learns punishment for murder of transgender prostitute
A jury has sentenced a Fort Bliss soldier guilty of murdering a transgender woman to 35 years in prison and ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine.
Last week, Anthony Michael Bowden was found guilty of Murder for the killing of Erykah Tijerina. Prosecutors told jurors Bowden stabbed Tijerina 24 times in August 2016.
The victim’ sister addressed Bowden in court Wednesday. “When you took Erykah’s life, you took part of my life because Erykah and I were so close,” the woman said, “Halloween is now a constant reminder of how gruesomely you stabbed her to death.”
During closing arguments last week, the defense claimedTijerina and Bowden met after Tijerina posted an advertisement for sexual services on Craigslist. Bowden did not know Tijerina was born a man or that she had tested positive for HIV since she was 17. Bowden also claimed Tijerina raped him.
The defense told jurors Tijerina blackmailed Bowden in the days after their encounter and threatened to expose him by posting photos of him on Craigslist.
During the trial, prosecutors showed the jury a video in which Bowden confessed to killing Tijerina. The defense argued their client killed Tijerina in self-defense.
Dr. James W. Schutte testified in court he performed seven psychological tests on Bowden at the direction of his attorneys on March 14, 2017.
Schutte said Bowden’s IQ was 83, which is 17 points below a normal score of 100, thus categorizing him with “borderline intellectual function.” Schutte also testified Bowden’s reading level was that of a sixth-grade student despite having passed high school.
