MARINETTE, Wis. (WFRV) – A 21-year-old Marinette man has been charged with reckless homicide in connection with the drowning death of a 13-year-old boy last week.
Court records show Tylor R. Birch is formally charged with second-degree reckless homicide in the death of Jakob Bowerman, who drowned after allegedly being pushed into the water in Marinette.
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According to a criminal complaint, Marinette police were called to the Menekaunee Harbor Boat Launch shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 20 for a report of a person in distress. Officers found Birch and a 16-year-old on the pier, who told police someone was in the water, but they did not know where.
A short time later, officers found Bowerman unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
The 16-year-old initially told officers the group had jumped in the water together, but later admitted that he and Birch grabbed Bowerman by his hands and feet and threw him into the water before jumping in after him. Birch also told police they had been “horsing around,” but the 16-year-old “took it a little too far” by pushing Bowerman into the water.
The 16-year-old placed the blame on Birch, stating that he had pushed Bowerman into the water.
Bowerman’s mother told investigators her son was not a strong swimmer and would not have jumped into the water voluntarily. She also alleged that Birch and the 16-year-old had bullied her son.
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An autopsy confirmed that Bowerman’s cause of death was drowning.
Birch was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged with second-degree reckless homicide. The 16-year-old was also taken into custody. Birch’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Marinette County Courthouse.
