2023 homicide suspect and registered sex offender, John Leonard Bowen, Jr., 47, convicted of
Second Degree Murder in the death of Coyoete Kathren Cheyenne Turner, 18, and sentenced to life in
prison yesterday in Columbia County Court.

On Sunday, September 3, 2023, at approximately 11:37 a.m., deputies from the Columbia
County Sheriff’s Office responded to 981 SW Haltiwanger Road due to a report of a body being
reported at the entrance to the property. When deputies arrived they were led to a partially burned
body of a female, later identified as 18-year-old, Coyoete Kathren Cheyenne Turner.

Over the course of the investigation, numerous persons of interest were interviewed. However, due
to inconsistencies with statements from John Leonard Bowen, Jr. regarding his whereabouts during
the time frame of the murder, along with numerous items of physical and electronic evidence,
investigators to begin to focus on Bowen as a suspect.

Due to statements made post-Miranda by Bowen to detectives, he was arrested and charged with the
murder of Coyoete Kathren Cheyenne Turner on Thursday, September 7, 2023 at the
Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the family and friends of the victim, Coyoete Kathren Cheyenne Turner
, finally received closure and justice when Columbia County Circuit Judge Melissa Olin found John
Leonard Bowen, Jr. guilty of Second Degree Murder and sentenced him to Life in Prison. A secondary
charge was also pled to by Bowen for Tampering with Evidence, where he was additionally sentenced
to 23.1 years in prison to be served consecutively.

Through the combined efforts of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Patrol and Criminal
Investigations Divisions, and assistance from the Third Judicial Circuit State Attorney
Investigator, Florida Highway Patrol, Medical Examiner’s Office of Jacksonville, State of Florida
Fire Marshal’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, this case was brought to a
successful resolution through the criminal justice process with a murderer in prison
for his crimes against this young woman.