Judge sentences Dinh Bowman to nearly 30 years for road rage murder

A King County judge has sentenced convicted murderer Thomsdinh “Dinh” Bowman to just under 30 years in prison for the drive-by shooting of a wine steward in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood.

A King County jury
convicted the 32-year-old Bowman in December of first-degree murder for the killing, after rejecting defense arguments he acted in self-defense following what he claimed was a road-rage incident on I-5.

Judge Bruce Heller rejected arguments Bowman feared for his life when he fired multiple rounds at Yancy Noll at the intersection of 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 75th Street in August 2012.

“Yancy Noll had his hands on the steering wheel when he was shot three times in the head,” Heller said.

Heller disputed defense claims Bowman was in fear, pointing out he failed to disclose the incident to his wife shortly after. He criticized Bowman for showing no remorse following the shooting prior to his arrest.

“People who have been through such an experience don’t go out to eat with their spouse an hour or two later and not mention the incident,” Heller said.

He also rebuffed Bowman’s contentions he wasn’t trying to hide evidence when he took apart his gun and hid it, and traveled to Portland to replace the window he fired through along with the tires on his car.

“The reason Mr. Bowman thought that police would regard him as the bad guy is because he was the bad guy and he knew it,” Heller said.

A number of friends and family members spoke before the sentencing, urging the judge to impose the maximum sentence.

“I miss Yancy every day,” said Noll’s girlfriend Jodi Wertz as she fought through tears to deliver her emotional appeal. “And I won’t know what it’s like to grow old with him, and that’s what I was supposed to do, and that’s what he wanted to do, and that’s what my children wanted to do.”

Noll’s best friend, Brad Kenney, spoke of the devastation he caused to so many family members and friends. He was among a number of people who described Noll as a beloved friend and family member with a “huge, kind heart,” who was always quick with a helping hand or hug.

“Being accused of road rage is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard because Yancy drove his car like a grandma,” Kenney said.

“His [Bowman’s] lack of emotion, trauma, shock, remorse or any kind of feeling at all only confirms my belief that he will never understand this unbelievable wreckage he has cause,” he said.

Bowman, who showed little emotion during the trial, wept throughout Friday’s sentencing hearing. He pleaded with the judge for leniency, but stopped short of issuing an apology for the shooting.

“I pray for the friends and family of Mr. Noll. I hope that through this process you are able to find some closure to this chapter and following chapter of their life.”

Bowman’s parents also pleaded for leniency, saying they blamed themselves for his upbringing. His mother tearfully asked the judge to let her serve her son’s sentence in his place.

Jurors ultimately agreed with prosecutors who argued Bowman wanted to kill someone and had studied books and other materials on murder before the shooting.

Bowman shot five rounds from a 9-mm Glock handgun through the window of his BMW convertible, hitting Noll four times in the head.

Witnesses ultimately led police to Bowman, who lived near the scene of the shooting.

Police said Bowman went out of his way to hide the crime, changing out his tires, traveling to Portland to replace a window in his silver BMW Z-4, and dismantling his gun.

A search of Bowman’s computer found large amounts of material about how to commit murder.

Bowman’s defense attorney, John Henry Browne, criticized the verdict prior to the sentencing and indicated Bowman’s plans to appeal the conviction.