Jury deliberates in case of Md. mother accused of killing 2 girls, storing bodies in freezer

Jury has case of mother accused of killing 2 girls

ROCKVILLE, Md. — A jury has begun deliberating in the case of a Maryland woman accused of killing two of her adopted children and storing their bodies in a freezer.

Renee Bowman is on trial in Montgomery County, where the children are believed to have died.

In closing arguments Monday, defense attorney Alan Drew conceded Bowman had abused her children. But he said prosecutors failed to prove she killed them with premeditation. If there’s no premeditation, the jury can find her guilty of second-degree murder instead of first-degree murder.

However, Deputy State’s Attorney John Maloney said the evidence shows Bowman acted deliberately.

The bodies were found in September 2008 in Bowman’s home. Bowman was sentenced last month to 25 years in prison for abusing her surviving adopted daughter.