Attorneys delivered their opening arguments in the trial of a defendant who allegedly stabbed 39-year-old Tracy Womack more than 40 times nearly eight years ago.
Mark Bowser, 42, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in Womack’s death. The homicide occurred in an apartment on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE, on Sept. 20, 2014.
The prosecution alleges that at approximately 1:30 a.m., the defendant approached the victim in her second-floor apartment and stabbed her 47 times. Womack was found by her son and his friends covered in blood, a prosecutor told jurors during opening arguments.
Multiple 911 calls were made from the scene. A witness who was friends with the victim for several years picked Bowser out from a photo array shown on the night of the homicide, and the defendant was arrested the next day.
The victim’s friend was the only person in the apartment when the stabbing happened. Defense attorney Dorsey Jones cast doubt on her credibility during his opening statement, emphasizing her history of PCP use and the contradictions between her current testimony and previous statements, as well as contractions between her current testimony and statements made by other witnesses.
Prosecutors also plan to present evidence that the victim’s DNA was found on the defendant’s clothing. Humans can shed DNA, and Jones referred to the concept of transfer DNA to argue that this evidence cannot prove his client to be the perpetrator.
The prosecutor outlined all the charges the defendant faces and what they say led to those charges. In addition to the murder charge, Bowser faces two counts of assault, one count of carrying a dangerous weapon and two counts of obstruction of justice for a letter sent from jail to the defendant’s ex-wife, allegedly outlining a plan to stop two witnesses from testifying.
Jones said the letter has no evidence of obstruction of justice as there is nothing blatantly stated about preventing the witnesses from testifying. He also argued that his client’s actions are not consistent with someone who just committed a murder, as he didn’t flee the scene immediately after. Instead, he is seen in video footage hanging around and talking to witnesses.
After opening arguments were completed, prosecutors called three witnesses to the stand, starting with the victim’s daughter.
The daughter described the Marshall Heights neighborhood as a “close-knit community” where everyone looked out for each other. She said she was very close to her mother.
“I am my mother’s child. Everything I am today is because of her,” Tracy’s daughter said.
When asked about her mother’s PCP use, the daughter told the court that she knew her mother used to smoke it, but described her as a “calm and peaceful” woman who cleaned the house after smoking.
Three jurors appeared emotional as the daughter described what it was like to grow up with a hard-working single mother. She said her mother was caring for her son and grandson when she was killed. She learned about her mother’s death through a phone call from a family friend.
The defense did not cross-examine this witness.
Prosecutors then called the first Metropolitan Police Department officer to arrive at the crime scene.
“The bedroom was in disarray; there was blood on the bed and things were scattered around,” the officer recalled. He said upon arrival, the victim was unresponsive, laying on the floor by her bed with visible wounds to her face and neck.
The officer testified that he had basic medical training but didn’t perform it on the victim, as he believed it would harm her further and cause her to lose blood. Instead, the officer called for emergency personnel, who transported Womack to a local hospital.
During cross-examination, the detective told Jones he does not recall if he noticed any blood on the handle of the bedroom door.
Jones cross-examined the officer and asked the MPD officer if he noticed any blood on the door handle of the bedroom where the homicide took place. “I don’t recall, sir,” the officer said, saying nobody was in the apartment when he entered.
The final witness to testify during the March 23 proceedings was the one who knew the victim for several years. She confirmed that she and Womack did PCP together a couple of days a week. When asked by prosecutors how Womack acted on drugs, she said her friend acted like her regular self.
The witness said she knew Bowser, who went by the nickname Piggy, for about a year. She had smoked PCP with him on several occasions at a friend’s house.
On the day of the homicide, she testified that she was at Womack’s house with a mutual friend. She said she saw Womack get into bed and later heard the defendant walking up the stairs to approach her.
“Let me say something to you,” the witness recalled him telling Womack. Womack refused, saying she was talking to the mutual friend. After that, the witness says Bowser walked into the victim’s room and closed the door behind him.
During cross-examination, Jones pointed out how when the witness testified before a grand jury, she said she did not recognize the voice as belonging to the defendant.
At trial, she said she clearly heard the victim say “what are you doing?” and “you’re hurting me, you’re stabbing me.” Upon entering the bedroom, the witness says she saw Tracy standing up, and before she could do anything, the defendant shut the door in her face and locked it.
Video footage shows the witness running out of the house and returning a few minutes later with two men. The witness alleged that Bowser pushed the three of them down the stairs of the apartment complex, knife in hand. One of the men tried to use a bar stool as a makeshift weapon.
Video footage shows Womack’s friend standing by the front of the apartment after the stabbing. She backs away from Bowser, who appears to be holding something resembling a knife.
Jones’ cross-examination of the witness is scheduled to resume on March 24.
