Cumberland Man Gets Life For Fatally Beating Girlfriend

CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) -- A Cumberland man with a long history of domestic violence has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his live-in girlfriend.

The Cumberland Times-News reports that 44-year-old Kevin Bowers was convicted and sentenced Wednesday after entering an Alford plea to a first-degree murder charge. An Alford plea is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgement that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict.

Bowers was charged in the February beating death of 32-year-old Jasmine Rannells.

Allegany County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Getty noted that that Bowers' criminal history includes seven domestic assault convictions.

Bowers apologized to Rannells' parents before he was sentenced.
State's Attorney Michael Twigg called him a coward for assaulting women and refusing to fully accept responsibility for Rannells' death.

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