Mother of murder victim deals with nightmares
DA calls 16-year-old killer a “danger to himself and others”
A teen who sliced his friend’s neck then set him on fire will get 20 years in prison. The victim’s mother described the impact.
A 16-year-old who killed his 15-year-old best friend by slicing his neck with a machete and then setting him on fire to cover it up was sentenced on Friday to 20 years in state prison.
Adrian J. Sawyer did not have much to say for himself in Washington County Court when Judge Kelly Mckeighan declared his sentence.
The mother of Maverick R. Bowman, Sawyer’s victim, said the January plea deal in which Sawyer pleaded guilty to second-degree murder is not enough for the teen who turned her life “upside down.”
“My son, for absolutely no reason, was brutally murdered while he was asleep,” said Bowman’s mother, Amber Pellerin, speaking between sobs. “My son was a loving, caring person who would have never done anything to Adrian. If you were having a bad day, my son would have done anything to make you laugh or smile.”
Judge Mckeighan asked Sawyer if he would like to say anything to the family. Sawyer replied, “I’m alright,” angering Mckeighan.
“That is the most incorrect statement I have ever heard,” Mckeighan said. “It’s inexplicable, it defies logic.”
Bowman was killed on the early morning of July 26 in a second home owned by his family in Putnam. According to Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan, the two Ticonderoga teens were hanging out in the garage there, tinkering with vehicles. At about 1 a.m., Bowman fell asleep in a chair in the house. While Bowman slept, Sawyer took Bowman’s cell phone and watched videos. At 3:35 a.m. he sent a Snapchat video detailing what he planned to do with a machete. After that, Jordan said, Sawyer went to the garage, got some gasoline and ignited Bowman. At 3:55 a.m., he called someone to come and pick him up at the scene of the crime.
Sawyer was arrested later that day and was charged with second-degree murder and arson.
Bowman’s mother said her son was five days away from his 16th birthday and was looking forward to driving. But since his death, she can’t sleep, is plagued by nightmares and lost her job.
“Adrian is a selfish and disgusting excuse for a human being,” she said in her victim impact statement. “Why should he ever get out?”
District Attorney Jordan said there is not a sentence that is appropriate for the crime. He also said he found Sawyer’s demeanor disturbing.
“It was a deliberate act,” Jordan said. “And through the whole time, we have spent countless hours with Adrian, not once did he show remorse. On the day of his arrest, Ticonderoga police said he sat expressionless. That continues through to this day. He’s a danger to himself and others.”
Jordan told the judge that Sawyer should never be released. Still, Mckeighan abided by the plea deal of a 20 yearsto-life sentence, which included dropping the arson charge. Jordan also told Sawyer his crime was “unforgivable” and said he was troubled that Sawyer made it a “social media event.”
Sawyer’s attorney, Marc Zuckerman, said that Sawyer is remorseful. But with a recorded IQ of 61, he does not have the words to express himself. Zuckerman also said that Sawyer suffers from “extreme emotional distress” and is an “internal and shy person” who is nervous and scared.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Zuckerman said. “Adrian made the ultimate decision to waive his constitutional rights to a trial and instead plead guilty. He took full responsibility and wants to do that because he does not want to fight the case. He didn’t want to put the family through it.”
Zuckerman said he had a viable defense with two psychologists lined up to testify on behalf of Sawyer, who his attorney emphasized is only 16.
Jordan said the whole ordeal has devastated both the Sawyer and Bowman families.
“Usually, there is some feeling of satisfaction at the end of a case. We took a person who did something horrible and held them accountable,” Jordan said. “What struck all of us with this case, there is no good result. We are never going to know why he did what he did. We do know he destroyed two families with one incredibly horrific act. That alone keeps it from having any sense of satisfaction. It’s truly a sad day.”