Former CFL wide receiver Bowden dies in British Columbia murder and has no chance of parole for 14 years

A judge in Vancouver-British Columbia has convicted a former Canadian Football League wide receiver for having killed his ex-girlfriend in life imprisonment after having had no parole for 14 years.

Josh Bowden was convicted of his second murder last fall when 33-year-old Kimberly Hallgers died in 2009 at a Burnaby house shared with his 3-year-old daughter.

Judge Arne Silverman of the British Columbia Supreme Court said his decision to qualify for parole to 14 years was due to the fact that Bowden had recently obtained a high school diploma and met a counselor during pretrial detention. It states that it is taking into account.

Silberman told the court, in particular, that school records forced him to give Bowden some encouragement.

A former BC Lions player overlooked a member of the WHOLEGARS family when he was taken out of court after the judgment.

“Having a nice day,” said Bowden.

Crown argued that parole eligibility should be set at 14 years, but Bowden’s lawyer demanded 12 years.

Prosecutor Brendan McCabe said at a hearing last week that Bowden, now 35, had beaten Wolgers violently, suffocating her and staged the scene to make her look like an accident.

McCabe called the murder “dull, brutal and horrifying,” and said the photographs of Halgars’ injuries were the most shocking of his career.

After playing for BC Lions in 2007, Bowden was released from the team in 2008 and signed to Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but had never played a regular season match with that team before being cut.

McCabe told the court that Wolgers had sent a photo of the injury from the previous assault by Bowden to then-Lions coach Wally Buono. Bowden accused her of finishing her football career.

He maintained his innocence in her death.