FARMINGTON — A Carthage man has been formally charged with trying to murder his girlfriend in November, and with violating his bail conditions by trying to contact her in December.

Bennie T. Bowie, 47, of Judkins Road, was indicted by the Franklin County grand jury Thursday on felony charges of attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault and aggravated assault with a weapon, according to court documents.

He was also indicted on a felony charge of violating bail conditions by trying to contact the girlfriend by letter while he was being held at the Franklin County jail in December.

Bowie’s bail was increased Thursday from $25,000 cash or $100,000 surety to $50,000 cash or $250,000 surety, according to Franklin County court clerks and jail officials.

Bowie was being held Friday at the Franklin County jail, were he has remained since his arrest on Nov. 3.

According to a police affidavit, an argument between Bowie and his girlfriend on Oct. 31 resulted in Bowie threatening to kill the woman, punching her in the face, slamming her head on the dashboard of his truck and cutting her neck with his hunting knife.

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On Nov. 1, Franklin County sheriff’s officers responded to a call from 27 Francis Place, the home of Bowie’s mother, Gertrude Bowie, who had reported that the girlfriend arrived at the house unexpectedly and was bleeding from the neck, according to the affidavit.

When Deputy Andrew Morgan and Cpl. Matthew Brawn arrived at the home, they saw Bowie’s truck parked in the driveway, with a broken passenger side window and blood on the outside of the door, but couldn’t find Bowie, the affidavit said.

When asked about her injury in a later interview with Franklin County Detective Kenneth Charles, the victim said that Bowie had cut her throat with a knife after telling her, “I should kill you.”

After the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department issued a warrant for Bowie’s arrest, he was found and taken into custody by Wells police. Franklin County deputies retrieved Bowie from the York County Jail and arrested him on Nov. 3.

Lauren Abbate can be contacted at 861-9252 or at:

labbate@centralmaine.com

Twitter: Lauren_M_Abbate


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