A man accused of fatally stabbing a 77-year-old Buckhead woman and taking her SUV pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday morning.
Antonio Marquavis Brown, 23, appeared in court remotely from the Fulton County jail, Channel 2 Action News reported.
He faces 12 charges in the December slaying of Eleanor Bowles, whose body was discovered in her garage when one of her sons came to visit.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
“I was on my way to visit her for the holidays and got to her a few hours too late,” Michael Bowles told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time. “What happened to her was her worst nightmare. It’s most people’s worst nightmare.”
Bowles’ body was found Dec. 10 inside her gated community. Investigators said they believe she may have have interrupted the suspect earlier that day, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., as he tried to steal her 2021 Lexus Rx 350.
Police released surveillance camera images of a person of interest seen near Bowles’ SUV and Brown was in custody within 24 hours.
Credit: Atlanta Police Department
Credit: Atlanta Police Department
He was indicted in February on charges including felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and abuse of an elder person, records show. He’s due back in court in September.
The grandmother’s grisly killing shocked many in the upscale community, and some quickly pointed to the case as a reason Buckhead should separate from Atlanta and form its own city.
Those cityhood efforts are on hold again after state lawmakers rejected legislation that would have allowed Buckhead residents to vote on secession.
Bowles’ relatives described her as a funny, kind and loving woman who adored her family and friends.
“She was a beautiful soul, and she taught me how to approach the world with empathy,” Michael Bowles said after his mother’s death.
Meanwhile, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has said her office is committed to bringing justice to Bowles’ loved ones.
“I am keeping them in my prayers as we prepare to prosecute this senseless murder,” Willis said in a statement.
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