Indiana – In a disturbing incident that has shaken an Indiana community, authorities say a 31-year-old mother, identified as K. Bowers, turned to Google for answers about criminal penalties just days after her 7-year-old son died as a result of the house fire he was trapped in with his three other siblings, while his mother did nothing to help them. Detectives say the search history included the chilling phrase, “manslaughter of a child sentence Indiana.”
Bowers now faces one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and three additional counts of neglect of a dependent. She remains in the county jail without bond, with her first appearance in court scheduled for this week. According to prosecutors, the charges stem from Bowers’ decision to leave her children inside a burning home on June 5, 2025. Investigators allege she walked several blocks away while the fire raged, abandoning her four children. Although three managed to escape on their own, 7-year-old David never made it out alive. After learning of the boy’s death, her husband immediately contacted authorities to request Bowers’ arrest, and subsequently filed for divorce on July 9.
The fire broke out around 2 p.m. at the family’s home. First responders arrived to find the residence fully engulfed. Firefighters made desperate attempts to save David but were ultimately unsuccessful, with the coroner later pronouncing him dead at the scene. At first, Bowers claimed she had been smoking a cigarette in bed, fallen asleep, and awakened to flames. She told investigators she had tried to get her children out one by one but could not rescue David. According to the boy’s father, neither he nor Bowers had smoked a cigarette in the home in the past 8 years.
Officers quickly noted troubling inconsistencies. Despite her claims, she had no soot on her body and no smell of smoke. Investigators later pieced together a timeline showing she left the house minutes before the fire reached its peak. Surveillance footage, digital records, and witness statements indicated she was walking away while her children were trapped inside. Police also discovered she made two 911 calls that day. The first was a hang-up placed about four minutes after she left the home; the second, placed 15 minutes later, reported her son was inside during the blaze.
Neighbors painted a grim picture of the Bowers home life. Several described her as unstable, with one recalling an argument just days before the fire in which she shouted at her husband, “I f—ing hate you and I hope everything you love dies.” Digital evidence further revealed that a day before the fire, Bowers texted her husband angrily, complaining that he had left her alone with the kids against Child Protective Services instructions. Perhaps most disturbing were the online searches uncovered a week later. Bowers had looked up “Manslaughter sentence Indiana,” “Voluntary manslaughter,” “Reckless homicide sentence,” and “Manslaughter of a child sentence Indiana.” Detectives said the searches showed she was anticipating legal trouble rather than expressing remorse for her son’s death.
Detective R. Meek emphasized the bravery of the firefighters who risked their lives trying to rescue David. Many were volunteers, he noted, who put their safety aside in the hope of saving the child. Their efforts, he said, “deserve our deepest gratitude and highest commendation.” The community, already scarred by previous tragedies, now faces the devastating loss of a young boy whose death authorities say could have been prevented. Bowers remains jailed as she awaits her initial hearing. If convicted, she faces a lengthy prison sentence. For David’s surviving siblings and extended family, the court’s decision cannot undo what happened. What began as an ordinary June afternoon ended in catastrophe — a boy dead, siblings traumatized, and a community left to question how a mother could walk away as her home burned with her children still inside.
