THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 26, 1995 TAG: 9504260448
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A9 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
The changing statements of Randy Bowman:
June 23, 1982: Statement of Randy Bowman to police:
``Around 10:30 p.m. or 11:30 p.m. during the summer of 1977, me and my girlfriend, Pat Ann McHone of Mt. Airy . . . drove up to Tommy McBride's house to sell Tommy some stolen property. A stereo and a Marlin .22 rifle, that I had stolen from a break-in I had done. . . .
``Tommy McBride asked me if I would be interested in taking a contract out to kill Arnder. Tommy said he'd give me $500 now and the gun to do it with and $1,000 after he was dead. He went into detail on how to find Arnder and Tommy described him to me. . . . Tommy felt like Arnder was stealing dope from him.
``Anyway, Tommy talked some more about killing Arnder, but I also heard Tommy offer the contract to Dennis Stockton to kill Arnder and I heard Dennis say he'd do it.''
March 22, 1983: Testimony of Randy Bowman during Stockton's trial:
Bowman: He asked me did I need to make some money. Told him, yea. He said, well, he, you know, we wanted to have the Arnder boy killed, you know.
Prosecutor Anthony Giorno: Who was it who said he wanted to have the Arnder boy killed?
Bowman: Tommy McBride.
Giorno: Where did - Where did he make this comment?
Bowman: In the living room. . . .
Giorno: All right. And what was your response?
Bowman: I didn't really have time to make a response. Dennis Stockton said he needed to make some money. . . . Said I'll do it, I need to make some money.
April 20, 1995: Interview with Randy Bowman in his home in Mt. Airy, N.C.
``I don't know if they (Mcbride and Stockton) made a deal. I was in there to sell something. The subject came up . . . how he (McBride) would like to have him (Arnder) dead, so I'm out of there. I've never said I heard - I didn't hear Stockton say I'm going to do it.
``I won't say he (Stockton) did or did not say this. I ain't never said Stockton (killed Arnder). . . . I don't recall hearing Stockton (make a deal with McBride.) It's been several years. . . .
``The only thing I was involved in was such a little bit. . . . What little I heard wasn't a lot.
``I left. . . . I never heard Dennis take the deal.''
KEYWORDS: MURDER-FOR-HIRE SHOOTING DEATH ROW
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT EVIDENCE by CNB