Hours after murder Higgins played poker

KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) - Hours after the murders of David and Vivian Bouwman in their Kentwood home, the suspect in the case was playing poker at a Wyoming bowling alley, sources told 24 Hour News 8.

A co-owner of Spectrum Lanes said he kicked out Javonte Higgins after the bartender told him the man was trying to sell jewelry at the bowling alley. This was long before Higgins, 22, was identified as a person of interest in the murders.

"I said, 'Sir, you have to leave,'" co-owner Mike Marks told 24 Hour News 8 on Tuesday. "He was gone within five minutes."

It's not clear whose jewelry he was trying to sell. Kentwood Police Chief Tom Hillen could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.

Two witnesses at the bowling alley told 24 Hour News 8 that Higgins was a weekend regular at the poker room at Spectrum Lanes.

They say he appeared to be intoxicated when he showed about noon on Jan. 5 to play poker.

Police say they believe the Bouwmans were killed between 3 and 4 a.m. that day during a home invasion and robbery at their home in Kentwood. Death certificates show David Bouwman was shot in the head, neck and chest, while his wife was shot in the head and neck.

About 10 a.m. that day, the Bouwmans' 2001 gold Cadillac DeVille was found dumped and burning outside an apartment building in the 3800 block of Madison Avenue SE.

It was about two hours after that when witnesses say Higgins showed up at the bowling alley. The alley is about 4 miles away from where the Cadillac was dumped.

One witness said he was intoxicated and gambled away about $50, then was turned away after trying to get back in the game with only $6.  He was kicked out minutes later.

"The bartender contacted me, that he had a person in here, trying to sell some jewelry," said Marks, the bowling alley co-owner. "We don't allow anything like that in the building."

One witness told 24 Hour News 8 that Higgins returned the next day on crutches. Witnesses say they didn't know why he was on crutches. Police on Monday revealed Higgins had severely injured his hips on Dec. 9 when he crashed a stolen pickup while fleeing police.

Witnesses at the bowling alley say they've been interviewed by Kentwood police.

Police on Monday identified Higgins as a suspect in the murders. They said they believe he is hiding in the Grand Rapids area. They also are still looking for a second suspect, whom they believe at least helped burn the Bouwmans' Cadillac. They've released a composite drawing of that suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Observer at 774-2345, or the Kentwood Police Department. The reward in the case has grown to $10,000 as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.