Netflix returned with yet another bone-chilling true crime documentary called Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter. The case began in 2010 when Aundria Bowman’s birth mom, Cathy Tarkanian received a letter.
This prompted Tarkarnian to look for her missing daughter whom she reluctantly gave up for adoption when she was 16 years old. While much is known about Tarkanian, let’s take a look at the person who raised Aundria: Brenda Bowman, the adoptive mother.
Brenda was Sue Engweiler’s (a relative of the Bowman family) husband, Craig’s cousin. The trio reportedly went to school together in Muskegon, Michigan. In the two-part documentary, the Engweilers described Brenda as a reserved and soft-spoken individual from when she was in school.
She met her husband Dennis (who would go on to be Aundria’s killer) back in the same high school. The lovebirds got married in 1971 after Dennis spent a year in the Navy, as Brenda revealed in a recording.
She went on to discuss the ordeal leading to Audrina’s adoption in the months that followed. Brenda recalled the doctors revealing her “slim chances of pregnancy” due to her double-uterus situation.
Since both Dennis and Brenda were eager to have children, they considered adoption. Years after applying, they finally got their chance, only to find out that the baby (Aundria) was 10 months old.
Throwing aside their preference to adopt a baby less than 6 months for the passion to become parents, Brenda became Aundria’s mother. Reminiscing, Brenda said in the tapes:
“I was never supposed to have any (children) and we got the miracle of adopting!"
Although Brenda was never formally convicted or tied to the murder of her adopted daughter, she did have plenty of significance to Netflix’s Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter.
What did Brenda Bowman do in Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter?
Brenda Bowman was described as a dedicated wife who loved Aundria dearly. Brenda was never connected to any of the crimes committed by her husband including accusations of physical and sexual abuse against Aundria.
When Aundria went missing, Brenda revealed that both she and her husband were “grieving parents.” Brenda did recall Aundria’s behavior days before she went missing, mentioning the allegedly robbed money, jewelry, and more. Meanwhile, she also gushed about what a wonderful daughter Aundria was.
When she learned about her husband Dennis’ heinous crimes against Aundria and his criminal history of sexual crimes against another woman from the Navy, she was dumbstruck. Brenda expressed her unfathomable disbelief in the wake of her husband’s true colors.
In Lost Into Fire: The Lost Daughter, Brenda would often defend Dennis against any accusations, claiming he wasn’t the sort of person cops were implying despite the mountain of evidence and several red flags.
Was Brenda Bowman a suspect in Lost into Fire: The Lost Daughter?
Neither was Brenda a suspect on the cops’ radar nor did she legally have anything to do with her daughter’s death in Lost Into Fire: The Lost Daughter. The same was proven after authorities verified her alibi, compared the social worker's notes, and enquired about the relationship she and Aundria shared.
However, speculations and conspiracies online suggest that although she didn’t kill her daughter, Brenda knew about Aundria disappearing. Additionally, they also accused Brenda of being in the know about Dennis’ criminal history.
As mentioned earlier, no such theory has ever been proven to date. Brenda is presumed innocent of any such accusations, especially the grim murder of Aundria.
Brenda refrained from appearing on Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter and refused to comment on the case.
Where is Brenda Bowman now?
After her husband Dennis was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of Aundria and Kathleen Doyle, Brenda Bowman stepped away from the limelight entirely. Brenda has continued to remain mum about questions concerning the case and even declined to comment or appear on the Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter.
Although she’s estranged from Dennis, there is no official confirmation about her marital status. Brenda lives a life of alleged solitude at the same residence in Michigan where her adoptive daughter and husband once lived happily. Details about whether or not she’s employed are also unknown.
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Netflix's Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter is a two-part documentary currently streaming on Netflix.
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