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Georgia couple, aged 73 and 74, charged in connection to 24-year-old cold-case

The police found the body of Travis Silvers in a Wendy’s parking lot in 2001

Michelle Del Rey
in Washington, D.C.
Tuesday 15 April 2025 19:20 BST
Gary Fowler, 74, (left), and his wife Mary Fowler, 73, (right), have been charged with murder in connection to the death of Travis Silvers in 2001
Gary Fowler, 74, (left), and his wife Mary Fowler, 73, (right), have been charged with murder in connection to the death of Travis Silvers in 2001 (Bartow County Sheriff's Office)

Georgia authorities have arrested an elderly couple for the murder of a man found dead in his truck 24 years ago.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Gary Fowler, 74, and Mary Fowler, 73, of Chatsworth had been charged with murder in connection with the death of Travis Silvers.

Silvers’ body was found inside his truck in the parking lot of a Wendy’s restaurant in Adairsville, Georgia, on March 10, 2001.

According to an article from the Rome News-Tribune that year, Silvers, 51, of Kingston, died from a fatal gunshot wound to the head. A weapon was not found in his car.

Another newspaper clipping at the time stated police believed Silvers’ body was intentionally driven to the restaurant parking lot to be found by authorities. The deceased man had been wrapped in a comforter and was lying on the passenger side of the truck.

Police initially responded to the Wendy’s after someone placed a call to authorities about a suspicious truck.

“Our examination of the interior of the truck found no gunpowder residue or bullet damage to the vehicle like you might expect if he was shot at close range inside the cab,” said Lieutenant Larry Miolen of the Adairsville Police Department at the time.

The Independent has contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for more information.

The Fowlers are being held at the Bartow County Jail without bond. Officials did not state how the couple is connected to the case. They have been booked into Bartow County Jail.

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