Officer William Lee Bowlin, 27, of the Metro Nashville Police Department was killed on the evening of August 4, 1982, two months after his wedding. He and two other officers had been sent to 1213 Litton Avenue in East Nashville to investigate shots fired in connection with a domestic dispute. After two officers went to the rear of the house, Officer Bowlin was walking back toward his patrol car when a concealed man in nearby bushes fired a single, fatal shot from a high-powered rifle that struck him in the head.

The shooter was a 54-year-old man angered earlier that day by a court judgment ordering him to return two lawnmowers and a car to his ex-girlfriend and former business partner. He was arrested, charged with Bowlin’s murder, tried, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Officer Bowlin was survived by his wife, his mother, and his father, who was head of the Metro Intelligence Division.

Did anyone in Nashville at the time have information about the events that night or about the man’s actions leading up to the shooting?