Renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden confirmed a grieving family's suspicions and sent a guilty man to prison after discovering zipper marks, an unconventional clue that had been overlooked during initial tests. .
Iowa mother Eileen Gowan was found frozen to death in a roadside ditch on February 26, 2023. Police suspected her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Ivan “Sam” Brammer, but despite multiple abrasions on Ms Gowan's body, the first coroner said: . Unable to determine the cause of her death, police were unable to charge him with murder.
Desperate, Gowan's family contacted Burden for a second opinion. The first episode of Fox Nation's “The Baden Files,” “The Zipper,” details a pathologist's involvement in a bizarre case.
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Eileen Gowan, 60, was last seen alive on February 12, 2022. Her body was discovered on February 26th in a roadside ditch in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (Fox Nation)
Gowan, 60, was last seen on surveillance footage leaving work at Sugar's Lounge and Diner in Council Bluffs on Feb. 12 and getting into Brammer's Ford F-150 the next morning. He was again caught on traffic camera footage. Her body appeared to be slumped awkwardly inside the car.
The woman was wearing the same clothes she was wearing in the parking lot footage when her body was discovered, except one shoe was missing. Her cell phone and wallet were also missing.
Her personal safe, which had about $1,200 inside, was also missing, according to an affidavit reviewed by Fox Nation. On February 15 of that year, Mr. Brammer, 61, deposited $1,200 into his bank account. Ten days later, he took the truck to a salvage yard and had it destroyed.
In March, Council Bluffs police charged Brammer with theft and abuse of a corpse.
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Ivan “Sam” Brammer was initially charged with theft and abuse of a corpse. Dr. Baden's findings led to additional murder charges for Gowan's death. (Fox Nation)
Gowan had multiple injuries to his body, including multiple contusions and abrasions to his head, an L-shaped laceration to his head that was not considered life-threatening, and a broken tooth. According to the toxicology report, only caffeine, nicotine and prescription drugs were present in her system. Assistant State Coroner Kelly Kruse called her cause of death “unknown.”
“I received a call from Eileen Gowan.” [son] … [who said] it's his [mother] “He was murdered, and the prosecutors were very helpful in helping us figure out the cause of death and who did it,” Baden told FOX News Digital.
Unpacking the Truth: The FOX NATION series reveals how Drs. Michael Burden's forensics put the case to rest.
Fox Nation's “The Baden Files” profiles three cases that Dr. Michael Baden helped bring to trial. (Fox Nation)
He began poring over photos of Gowan's body and the ditch where she was found.
”[With] In my experience, I could see the marks [her] Neck with distinctive zipper marks, zipper teeth, [that left] “Certain unique trace patterns, like a hammer, or another solid object can leave marks on the skin,” Baden told Fox News Digital. “I've seen zipper marks like this in the past. I've had it before,” he said.
“Now we know what happened. It's not who did it. It's up to the police,” Baden said.
The photo shows the crime scene where Gowan's body was discovered. (Fox Nation)
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Baden determined the woman had been strangled to death. He explained to the court that objects such as jewelry or zippers that get caught under the assailant's arm while strangling them can leave marks.
Thanks to Baden's discovery, a murder charge was added to Brammer's indictment. He was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison, an additional 10 years for abuse of a corpse and five years for theft. In 1965, he held a concurrent position.
“I was struck by how close the family was and how upset they were that their mother was harmed,” Baden told FOX News Digital. “And in their interest the investigation continued, the prosecutor listened to the family, the police listened, and the coroner was all very cooperative in bringing this case to trial.” It was spot on.”
