As reported by Cleveland 19 News, a 43-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the December 2023 shooting death of a Bedford woman. Joseph Bowman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the killing of 45-year-old Seritha Ballantyne. He was also convicted of felonious assault and having weapons while under disability.
The incident occurred on December 23, 2023, at a home on Natalie Road. Bedford police responded to the scene and found Ballantyne in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities say Bowman fled the scene in Ballantyne’s car.
A manhunt followed, with the United States Marshal’s Northeast Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force assisting Bedford police in the search. Bowman remained on the run for five days before turning himself in to authorities.
His case was heard in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, where Judge Brian Mooney handed down the 20-year prison sentence following Bowman’s guilty plea to the reduced charge.
