Community leaders have joined the family of a 77-year-old woman stabbed to death inside her Buckhead home in calling for an end to violence.
“No one is safe anywhere,” Mary Norwood, an Atlanta city councilwoman, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday morning. “The city has become more and more lawless the violence has increased all over the city and it’s all horrible.”
Antonio Marquavis Brown, 23, was arrested in DeKalb County and was being questioned late Monday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Monday evening. Brown was charged with murder, aggravated battery, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, elder abuse, and hijacking a motor vehicle, according to police. He was being booked into the Fulton County jail late Monday.
“Atlanta is a group project, and when we have horrific horrible incidents like this, it is important for us to come together and act,” Dickens said. “When something like this happens, the entire village is impacted and the entire village is called to support.”
Eleanor Bowles’ son found her dead in her home Saturday. Ellen, as she was known to those closest to her, had been stabbed multiple times, according to Atlanta police. In a statement released Sunday, Michael Bowles said he had arrived at his mother’s home to visit for the holidays when he discovered the horrific scene.
“The killing of Ms. Bowles is understandably rocking our community,” Dickens said. “And my heart aches for these family members, of whom I’ve actually spoken to.”
The case was the 157th homicide Atlanta authorities have investigated this year. Eleven of those cases have been in Atlanta police zone 2, which includes Buckhead. In 2021, Atlanta detectives investigated 160 homicides citywide
In discussing violent crimes in Atlanta, police and city leaders have said most homicides stem from disputes that escalate into violence among people who know each other. Stranger-on-stranger crimes are rarer. There is no indication that Ellen Bowles knew her attacker.
The stabbing echoed another deadly incident in Buckhead.
On Oct. 13, Christopher Eberhart, 57, was shot and killed in a driveway on Peachtree Battle Avenue shortly after 7 a.m. He was sitting in his truck, waiting to start work for the day. The suspect police say shot him was arrested in Alabama, in the victim’s stolen pickup truck. Travis Landrey, 18, faces charges of felony murder, murder, motor vehicle hijacking and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Ellen Bowles was stabbed in her Paces West Terrace home, in a gated community off West Paces Ferry Road, about 2 miles from the Georgia Governor’s Mansion. Her family wants the crime to spur action.
“I am committed to getting the word out about this outrageous tragedy. And I want everyone to understand that none of us are safe,” Michael Bowles said in a statement after his mother’s death. “I hope that people read this story and understand this, and then maybe we can all collectively effectuate some change. I will carry that message with me forever, for mom.”
Ellen Bowles, described by friends as a strong, independent woman, had been preparing for Christmas when she was stabbed multiple times in her garage, according to family and Atlanta police. Investigators believe she may 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 from her home, investigators said Sunday.
Bowles’ vehicle was recovered in DeKalb County after being driven to different locations across Atlanta, investigators said. No details were released on where the SUV had been spotted.
Credit: Atlanta Police Department
Credit: Atlanta Police Department
Those with security cameras in the area were asked to check their footage between the hours that the incident is believed to have taken place.
Late Sunday, friends and family gathered outside the home to remember the woman who loved her family and had a passion for animals. Norwood, who previously ran for Atlanta mayor twice, said the gathering was devastating.
“People are alarmed because this can happen anywhere,” Norwood said. “When it happens we all have to fix the system.”
Funeral arrangements were pending for Bowles. A GoFundMe launched in her memory will benefit the Atlanta Humane Society.
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