Expand / Collapse search
☰

Grand jury indicts homeless man for brutal stabbing death of Buckhead grandmother

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  March 1, 2023 6:01am EST
Buckhead
FOX 5 Atlanta

77-year-old murdered Buckhead woman to be laid to rest

Ahead of the planned funeral for Ellen Bowles, her son Michael told FOX 5 he wants people to remember his mother for how she lived, not how she died.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A Fulton County grand jury has indicted a man for the brutal stabbing death of a 77-year-old Buckhead grandmother.

Antonio Brown, 23, faces 12 charges including felony murder and armed robbery. 

Police say 77-year-old Eleanor Bowles was discovered dead with "multiple lacerations" on Dec. 10 in the detached garage next to her home on Paces West Terrace. Investigators believe she caught Brown in the middle of a crime.

Antonio Brown (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Speaking to FOX 5, Bowles' son Michael said he would never forget what he saw when he entered the garage.

"I was on my way to visit her for the holidays and got to her a few hours too late," he said. "Finding her like that is something that will be with me forever. What happened to her was her worst nightmare. It’s most people’s worst nightmare."

SON SAYS FINDING 77-YEAR-OLD MOM STABBED TO DEATH AFTER CAR ROBBERY ‘WILL BE WITH ME FOREVER’

Two days after her death, police announced that investigators arrested and charged Brown with Bowles' murder. 

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said a neighbor identified Brown, and he was arrested within 24 hours of police releasing a photo of the suspect.

"The killing of Ms. Bowles is understandably rocking our community," the mayor said.

Ellen Bowles and her son, Michael Bowles. (Credit: Michael Bowles) (Supplied)

On the same day as the murder, police identified Brown as a suspect in a liquor store robbery that happened less than half a mile from the deadly stabbing scene.

The alleged robbery happened at a liquor store on Northside Parkway between 11:30 a.m. and noon on Dec. 10. According to the police report, Brown "is known for being a homeless male in the area and always under the influence." 

Police arrest Buckhead stabbing suspect hours after releasing picture

In less than 24 hours after releasing a photo of a suspect wanted for the stabbing murder of a 77-year-old woman in Buckhead, Atlanta police arrested 23-year-old Antonio Brown.

An employee said they denied Brown a bottle of Absolut Vodka, and "he grab (sic) the bottle and walked out of the location." The employee said he looked intoxicated when he was in the store. Police saw him on security footage.

Investigators initially said someone killed Bowles between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 10. Security footage from the Paces West neighborhood showed a "person of interest" wearing all-black clothing. 

The Fulton County District Attorney's Office says they're committed to bringing justice to Bowles' family.