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Where is Vanessa Bowman, Aundria Bowman’s sister, now?

Those who have seen the Netflix documentary, Into the Fire: The Lost Daughterknow the heartbreaking story of how Aundria Bowman (née Alexis Badger) was killed by her own adoptive father, Dennis Bowman.

But what happened to Aundria's sister Vanessa Bowman, who is also mentioned in the documentary? And where is she now?

Who is Aundria Bowman's sister Vanessa?

Vanessa Bowman is the biological daughter of Brenda and Dennis Bowman. She was born when her adopted sister Aundria was still a teenager. As the documentary explains, Brenda and Dennis didn't believe they would ever be able to conceive naturally, so Vanessa's birth was a surprise.

According to Aundria's friends and relatives who Into the fireAundria loved her little sister Vanessa very much and wanted to protect her from her evil father Dennis, who Aundria said sexually abused her. Her accusations were denied by her parents and Aundria was forced to recant her allegations when her local church stepped in and pressured her to take them back and clear her father's name.

Vanessa was just one year old when Aundria “disappeared” on March 11, 1989. It would be nearly thirty years before the truth emerged and Dennis confessed that Aundria had not run away from home, as initially suspected, but that he had killed her and dismembered her body and buried it in the back garden of the family home while Vanessa was also in the family home.

Little is known about Vanessa, but a 2018 post on the Justice for Aundria M Bowman Facebook page, created by Aundria's biological mother, Cathy Terkanian, shows a picture of a woman purporting to be her. However, we cannot vouch for the accuracy or authenticity of whether it is actually Vanessa.

In the documentary, a friend of Aundria says: “[Aundria] took care of [Vanessa] all the time, changing her diapers, giving her a bottle. She loved her little sister. She was terrified of leaving her little sister there alone… She said she would go when Vanessa was older and find her real mommy.”

What did Vanessa Bowman say about Into the Fire?

Although the documentary features archival footage, police footage and old family photos, neither Dennis, Brenda nor Vanessa Bowman agreed to speak on camera.

At the end of the Netflix documentary, an explanatory text appears: “Brenda Bowman declined an interview and did not respond to requests for comment.”

Does Vanessa Bowman support her father Dennis Bowman?

It is not known what Vanessa thinks of her father now, but Allegan County Sheriff's Detective Chris Haverdink once reportedly said when recalling why it was initially difficult to prosecute Dennis: “He was difficult. He was stubborn because he had a support group that supported him. Brenda Bowman supported him. His (biological) daughter [Vanessa, he claims] supported him.”

Where is Vanessa Bowman now?

Vanessa Bowman's current whereabouts are unconfirmed, but her mother Brenda is believed to still live in Michigan.

Portrait photo by Jennifer Savin

Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multi-award-winning Features Editor, who was named Digital Journalist of the Year for her work on the most important issues for young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her valued connections to reach the best experts. She has quizzed everyone from senior politicians to A-list celebrities, and sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their true life stories. In addition, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successful petitions to the government for changes on issues such as abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary film consultant (she helped create BBC's Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and patron of YES (a youth services charity). In addition to Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women's Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts and spoken on (and moderated) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her free time, Jennifer is a huge fan of lipstick, leopard print and eating too much at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.

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