Elderly Chatsworth couple arrested for murder 24 years ago
Gary and Mary Fowler. Courtesy of Bartow County Sheriff's Office
BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. - More than two decades after the discovery of Travis Silvers’ body in a Wendy’s parking lot, authorities have arrested a northwest Georgia couple in connection with his death.
What we know:
On Friday, April 11, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, along with the Bartow County Detective Unit, Bartow DTF/SWAT Unit, and the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Gary Fowler, 74, and Mary Fowler, 73, both of Chatsworth, and charged them with murder.
Silvers' body was found inside his truck on March 10, 2001, in the Wendy’s parking lot in Adairsville. According to a clipping from the Calhoun Times, the body was wrapped in a comforter and lying on the passenger side of the 1978 Ford pickup. It appeared that Silvers, who was 51 at the time, had been shot in the head and intentionally left in a public parking lot to be found.
What we don't know:
Both Gary and Mary Fowler were booked into the Bartow County Jail. Authorities have not yet released details about the motive or what led to the breakthrough in the case.
What's next:
The GBI says the investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the agency. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the "See Something, Send Something" mobile app.