Written by Tanya Terry
Brett Michael Andres was recently sentenced to life in prison for the killing Kip Brian Bowker with a hammer. Andres was sentenced to the mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Andres and Bowker were roommates, as well as stepbrothers. They lived on Comanche Avenue.
When a Genesee County jury returned a guilty verdict against him on April 22, Andres was convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced May 23 before Genesee Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth A. Kelly, at age 37.There is no death penalty sentence in the state of Michigan.
Andres had become agitated with Bowker and his anger continued to grow. Finally in July of 2019, during an disagreement, Andres hit Bowker in the head four times with a hammer, killing him.
Andres did call 911 to report the incident.
Bowker’s death was found to be the result of blunt force trauma to the head, according to the medical examiner’s report.
In November 2021, an independent competency evaluation found Andres competent to stand trial.
Andres’ attorney, however, said he was suffering from paranoid thinking.
Kip Brian Bowker was 29 at the time of his death.
On May 23, Andres declined to explain his actions when asked if he had anything to say by Circuit Court Judge Kelly.
