The Choice, Divorce or Murder?

When I followed the Scott Peterson case I was drawn to the fact that this man showed no emotion before and after his trial. His eyes were "dead" and hollow and he kept that blank look that was there from the beginning when Laci Peterson and her unborn child, Conor, first went missing. What was he thinking? What was behind that blank facade? How could he just go on living like nothing happened and start another relationship? After reading the book authored by Marilee Strong, "Erased", I came away with a clearer picture of the psychology involved in why men can "erase" their partners and sometimes even get away with it.

Lately it seems we have many more names to put on the list of cases covered in Marilee's book. Since I live in the Carolinas, those cases stand out in my mind, Janet Arbaroa, Michelle Young, Kelly Currin Morris, Carol Batten Dowless, and I'm sure there are more. Some of these spouses will get away with murder based on past cases, such as Peggy Dianovsky and Toni Bachman. Some of these spouses have confessed, some haven't been charged, but in each case there is a pattern that presents itself.

*Charm turns to manipulation and deceit.
*A pattern of control issues
*Escalation of domestic violence.
*The beginning of the end of the relationship.
*Woman goes missing.

As a follower of true crime for many years on several online forums and blogs, it's almost too easy to follow this pattern and accuse the spouse. My fellow sleuthers are not often wrong and follow these cases with diligence. The inconvenience of a divorce with the possibility of child support payments, the loss of control of the relationship, and an escalation of violence, moves these men into the realm of murder. It's also clear, in several cases, that he moves on with his life, remarries, has more children, and the missing woman is no longer spoken about, she has been "erased" for all intents and purposes, from the lives of her children and her family.

While Marilee Strong goes into great detail about every psychological aspect of these men, my concern is for the children that have been left behind. Their mothers have been literally erased from their lives, but the bond will always be there somewhere. The children left behind will always be searching, always carry the burden, and sometimes be brainwashed by the murdering spouse to forget and move on. What are the long term affects for these children, who many times witness acts of violence in the household? How can the cycle of violence ever be broken?

The words emotionally spoken by Sharon Rocha at the trial of her son-in-law Scott Peterson ring so true now as they did then. "Divorce is always an option, you didn't have to murder her!"

To this type of man, divorce is not an option. He will murder before he gives up any control, any money, and anything of his own. Mothers vanish every day, some we hear about and some we don't. Someone is getting away with murder in this country right now and there is no remorse, no empathy, no mourning, no signs whatsoever of an emotional loss. Most importantly, there are children who have questions, who have lost a mother, and will never see her again, she has vanished.

Carol Batten Dowless, Missing Mother Found

It breaks my heart to report that it is believed that Carol has been found. My sincere sympathies go out to her mother, Margaret, her father, Roger, and especially to the children she so dearly loved. I had the pleasure of meeting them at the CUE Center rally in Whiteville, NC just a few weeks ago, and they are real...real people who now need our support more than ever. May they find peace as they finally know where their daughter and mother will rest.





Remains found in Columbus County
Authorities suspect they are those of missing woman

By David Reynolds
Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 9:07 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 11:45 p.m.

Columbus County sheriff’s deputies found remains this week, which they suspect are those of Carol Marie Batten Dowless, a 26-year-old mother of four who disappeared three years ago.
Columbus County sheriff’s deputies found remains this week, which they suspect are those of Carol Marie Batten Dowless, a 26-year-old mother of four who disappeared three years ago.
Related Links:

* For nine women, more questions than answers

Authorities say an informant led them to a wooded area within a mile of Batten Dowless’ home in Columbus County.

The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and Brunswick Search and Rescue assisted in an eight-hour search that ended with the discovery around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Capt. David Nobles of the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office.

Although police suspect they’ve discovered Batten Dowless’ remains, the bones will have to be tested to know for sure, Nobles said.

The break in the 3-year-old case comes just weeks after The CUE Center For Missing Persons put up a billboard in Whiteville asking for information on the disappearance.

“I know her family was hoping for a better outcome,” said CUE founder Monica Caison. “At least we have some answers now.”

The case

Batten Dowless disappeared Sept. 4, 2005, after she was last seen at her family’s home on Old Pine Log Road near Whiteville, according to the North American Missing Persons Network.

Her burgundy Mitsubishi Elantra was found parked nearby.

Batten Dowless’ father Sherland “Roger” Batten was driving a truck cross country and returned home to find his youngest daughter missing.

In a prior interview, Batten said he’d put up posters and offered a reward but heard little. Still, years after she disappeared, Batten held out hope his daughter was alive. He even kept her name on his bank account with the hope she would draw money from it some day.

The break

Caison, who searches for missing people and supports their families, said that when adults go missing, their cases don’t receive enough attention from police or the media.

But cases like that of Batten Dowless, a mother who disappeared, leaving children behind, should raise everyone’s suspicions, Caison said.

Earlier this month, the CUE Center unveiled a billboard on U.S. 701 in Whiteville, bearing Batten Dowless’ picture.

The plan was to provide a permanent reminder of the unsolved case and an alternative to repeatedly putting up posters only to have them torn down soon after, Caison said.

“We just knew that if we could get something up and it could be permanent, it would be a constant reminder and put pressure on whoever knew her or knew about her case,” Caison said. “It worked because it’s only been up two weeks.”

On Wednesday, Nobles, of the sheriff’s office, said the informant had seen publicity on Batten Dowless’ case that was posted by the CUE Center.

In addition to confirming the identification, Nobles said the medical examiner also will determine the cause of death.

Authorities still aren’t calling the disappearance a murder. “The investigation is still ongoing, and we’re still working,” Nobles said Wednesday. Deputies will “wait and see what the medical examiner can determine.”

From Cue Center On the Road Tour 2008

From Cue Center On the Road Tour 2008

Carol Batten Dowless

Whiteville, North Carolina is a small rural town situated west of Wilmington on Hwy 74 in Columbus County and not far from the border of South Carolina. It is surrounded by small communities most likely named for family farms such as Wyatts Crossroads, Wooten's Crossroads, Smith Crossroads, and many others. It's in this area that the Batten family owns horse pastures and where Carol "Prissy" Batten Dowless' vehicle was found in the early morning on September 4, 2005.



It is reported that Carol, known as Prissy, had gone missing a couple other times in the past, but she was located before reports to police would be filed. Prissy and her husband Jamie Dowless had 4 children, the oldest, Prissy's from a previous relationship and the youngest just 3 months old when her mother vanished.

There were the usual arguments in the marriage, but no domestic violence reports were ever made, and Jamie moved near his parents with all 4 children after Prissy went missing. Carol's father, Roger Batten, a long haul trucker, is still very involved with his grandchildren, and has stated that is one of the reasons he gets upset. Explanations to young children are difficult when there are no answers.

There have been several conflicting reports of the events on September 4, 2005, and according to the detective, the case has virtually hit a brick wall. They desperately need new clues to continue to move forward in the investigation.

Four young children wait and wonder, and will for a very long time, for answers to questions no one can answer. The mystery continues, did Prissy just walk away from her children and family that early morning? Her father talked to her that morning around 1am on the same cell phone that was found later broken in pieces. Did someone pick her up and leave with her? her husband reported hearing a vehicle leave their home around 5am.

If Prissy is out there somewhere, her family just wants to know that she is alright.

The family of Carol Batten Dowless will be honoring her and bringing attention to her case on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 by sponsoring a stop on the Cue Center Road To Remember Tour. Hopefully many members of the community will meet at the WalMart parking lot in Whiteville and support this family and the Cue Center.

http://www.whiteville.com/pages/2006WEBPAGES/SEPTEMBER2006/9.4.06/news3mon.html

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/dowless_carol.html

http://www.nampn.org/cases/dowless_carol_batten.html

http://www.columbusco.org/DotNetNuke_2/Default.aspx?alias=www.columbusco.org/dotnetnuke_2/sheriff

http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/ (Cue Center)

UPDATES

Missing Persons billboard generates tips to find Dowless

Oct. 15, 2008

There has been a major break in the murder case of a Columbus County woman. The Columbus County Sheriff's Office has arrested and charged a man with first-degree murder is in the case of Carol Batten Dowless. The man in custody is the victim's husband, Jamie Lee Dowless. The charges follow Monday's positive identification of her remains. The remains were found within weeks of putting up a billboard with her picture. The positive identification of Carol Batten Dowless' remains brings little closure to her friends and family. “When I go to bed tonight, my mama's not coming back. When I wake up in the morning she's not going to be there,” said Denise Batten, Carol’s daughter. While they now know it was in fact her body found in a wooded area in Chadbourn, questions still remains. Carol’s father, Roger Batten said, “I want to know why and everything that brought this on. I don't want to have no secret having to wonder how it happened or nothing like that.” A billboard unveiled September 10th, played a key part in generating tips as to where her body might be. “That was a real big help. We waited three years and within twenty days of the bill board going up we knew,” said Mr. Batten. Within just 16 days of its unveiling, the Columbus County Sheriff's Office found Dowless' remains about a quarter mile from her family home. That two weeks cracked a three year, missing persons case. The Cue Center for Missing Persons raised more a thousand dollars for the billboard. “Billboards kind-of replace that effort where you’re constantly putting out posters. It is a great effort, but after weather and time, they get taken down. A billboard sort of replaces that because it’s in your face and it’s life-sized,” said Monica Caison of the Cue Center. The billboard is being credited by Columbus County detectives with helping lead to a suspect in this three-year-old case. Columbus County coroner said he can not determine the exact cause of Carol Dowless' death, but that foul play had been definitely involved.

Dowless pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in wife's death

Feb. 28, 2011

WHITEVILLE, N.C. – A Columbus County man pleaded guilty to the 2005 death of his wife. Jamey Dowless was arrested in 2008 and charged with killing his wife, Carol Batten-Dowless.

Carol Batten-Dowless was murdered in Sept. 2005. Her Remains were found three years later. In 2008, a tip led Columbus County Sheriff's deputies to a wooded area outside of Whiteville where they found her remains.

The remains were found just down the street from her father's home. Authorities say Batten-Dowless was strangled to death after a fight with her husband.

Jamey Dowless was arrested in Oct. 2008 about three weeks after his wife's remains were found. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the case last week. He will serve between 94 and 122 months in prison. 

However, the 34-year-old has 860-day credit for time served since his arrest reducing the minimum time down to 65 months. 

Carol, who was nicknamed "Prissy", left behind four girls.

http://triangle.news14.com/content/local_news/coastal/637429/dowless-pleads-guilty-to-voluntary-manslaughter-in-wife-s-death