Looking at a portrait of her uncle in front of Ponchatoula Pub on West Pine Street, 46-year-old Robert Bowers’ niece Raven Meade can’t feel anything Wednesday night, except anger and grief especially after learning the two men accused of beating him to death are now out on bond.
“I mean, so we don’t get to come home to our family, yet they can go home theirs after they intentionally, he was down on the ground dead, and they’re kicking and punching him in his head,” Meade said.
What started as a verbal argument turned physical and eventually deadly early Sunday morning. Police say they were called to the bar just hours after the Alabama-LSU football game.
Bowers, a Roll Tide fan and a father of two was wearing his Alabama jersey.
Police say he got into an argument with Azia Crockett. That’s when Ryan Anthony allegedly struck Bowers in the head, knocking him to the ground.
"Once he was on the ground, Azia Crockett jumped on top of him, and punched him multiple times as well,” Ponchatoula Police Chief Bry Layrisson said.
Bowers never regained consciousness. He died Tuesday night after he was taken off of life support at University Medical Center in New Orleans.
27-year-old Crockett and 24-year-old Anthony are now charged with felony manslaughter in Bowers’ death.
Crockett and Anthony surrendered to police Wednesday morning. Both men admitted to punching Bowers.
Police say, they currently don’t know what was said in the argument, but they believe another niece of Bowers instigated the fight.
“Ashley is not an evil person at all. She’s actually a real sweetheart,” one family member said.
No matter what led to the incident, his family says there is a hole in their hearts and Bowers didn’t deserve the brutal attack he endured.
“I can’t wrap this around my head, but all I can say is we want justice for Uncle Robert, of course,” Meade said.