A 31-year-old mother in Indiana has been arrested after authorities say she left her four small children inside their burning home and walked several blocks away from the fire, which killed her 7-year-old son. Kirstin D. Bowers was arrested last week and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death for her alleged involvement in the death of young David Bowers Jr., authorities said.
According to a Rush County Sheriff’s Office news release, deputies and firefighters responded to a 911 call about a “house fire with a small child still inside” at a residence in Arlington’s 2000 Block North CR 700 W around 2 p.m. on June 5, 2025.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the single-family home “fully engulfed” in flames. Firefighters made several attempts to rescue the trapped boy, but were ultimately unsuccessful. The Rush County Coroner’s Office later pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators stated that “numerous suspicious circumstances” were discovered at the home on the day of the fire.
Bowers allegedly told authorities that she was smoking a cigarette in bed when she fell asleep, “awakening to the bed being on fire.” She then claimed she tried to help the children.
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“Bowers advised she attempted to get the children out of the residence one by one, however due to smoke and fire she was unable to rescue David Bowers Jr.,” a press release says.
Bowers placed two separate 911 calls on the day of the fire, according to authorities. She allegedly hung up during the first call, then called back about 15 minutes later to report that her son was inside the house during the fire.
As the investigation progressed, detectives said they discovered that Bower’s story did not make sense.
“A timeline of events, developed by investigators using surveillance footage, witness statements, and digital technology, revealed that Kirstin Bowers had left the residence and walked several blocks from the residence during the suspected time of the fire,” according to a release. “This left four small children inside the home. It is suspected that three children exited the house on their own, leaving David Bowers Jr. unable to escape.”
According to Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR, Bowers and her husband had a combative relationship and fought frequently. Only days before the fire, a neighbor told investigators that Bowers yelled, “I f—ing hate you and I hope everything you love dies.”
A search of Bowers’ cellphone revealed that the day before the fire, she sent her husband an angry message about their children.
“I’m about to call the CPS lady back…” and let her know that you left me here with the kids by myself when she asked not to, so thank you,” the message reportedly read.
She also told police to disregard any statements from neighbors about her allegedly walking away from the burning house, claiming she returned about five minutes before the fire started, according to WTHR. According to police, the first 911 call—the hangup—came about four minutes after she left the house.
Officers reported that, despite claiming to have helped her children escape the fire, Bowers was free of soot and did not smell like smoke.
Bowers reportedly searched the internet for the following terms about a week after the fire: “manslaughter sentence Indiana,” “voluntary manslaughter,” “reckless homicide sentence,” and “manslaughter of a child sentence Indiana.”
When Bowers’ husband learned that his son had died in the fire, he immediately told authorities, “Arrest her,” referring to his wife, WTHR reported. He petitioned for divorce from Bowers on July 9, 2025.
“This is a tragic event for our community, and especially for the town of Arlington, which has faced several heartbreaking incidents in recent years,” said Detective Randy Meek of the Rush County Sheriff’s Office. “Our agency would be remiss not to acknowledge the heroic efforts of fire personnel from various departments, many of whom are volunteers. These men and women willingly risked their own safety to save David Bowers Jr. Their bravery and selflessness on that day deserve our heartfelt appreciation and highest praise.”
Bowers is currently being held without bond at the Shelby County Jail on unrelated charges. She is scheduled to appear in Rush County Circuit Court for her initial hearing on the neglect charges on Wednesday, July 30, according to records.
