Bobby Bowers was a drug dealing, drug using gang member. In prison, his life radically changed after an encounter with Jesus.
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Reporter: BOBBY BOWERS
SAYS WHEN HE WAS 14 YEARS
OLD, HE SAW A DEMON IN HIS
BEDROOM.
HE APPROACHED ME, AND I
SEEN FIRE.
AND I JUST SEEN TWO EYES
THAT WERE FIERY, AND I KNEW
IT WAS A DEMON.
AND HE OFFERED ME A DEAL.
IF I SERVE HIM, HE WOULD
GIVE ME POWER.
HE'D MAKE ME VICE PRESIDENT
OF A DRUG GANG.
BUT I HAD TO COMMIT A
CRIME.
I WAS TOO YOUNG TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT TO DO, SO I
JUST GAVE IN TO THE DEMON.
I ACCEPTED THE DEAL.
Reporter: BOBBY AND A
FRIEND DEVISED A PLAN, TO
ROB A LOCAL STORE.
I WENT INTO A PLACE IN
CURTIS BAY, ME AND MY
FRIEND, THE PRESIDENT OF THE
GANG.
I TOLD HIM I WANTED THE
MONEY AND NOT TO MOVE, AND
IF HE MOVED, I WAS GOING TO
KILL HIM.
AS HE MOVED, I PULLED A
CROWBAR OUT AND I HIT HIM IN
THE HEAD, AND HE FELL TO THE
GROUND.
AS HE TRIED TO GET BACK UP,
I TOLD HIM, IF YOU GET UP,
I'M GOING TO KILL YOU.
AND HE LAID THERE, AND BLOOD
WAS EVERYWHERE.
I DIDN'T KNOW I COULD DO
THAT MUCH DAMAGE, BUT THIS
WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I
SHED INNOCENT BLOOD.
RIGHT AFTER THAT, I BECAME
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
DRUG GANG.
Reporter: BOBBY SOLD
DRUGS FOR THE GANG AND HE
ALSO STARTED TO USE THEM.
THERE ARE RULES WHERE
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO
THE DRUGS AND THE PRODUCT
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T THINK
CLEARLY WHEN YOU'RE OUT
THERE ON THE STREETS SELLING
AND YOU'RE USING.
WE WOULD DO L.S.D., SMOKE
P.C.P., COCAINE, MARIJUANA.
Reporter: BOBBY'S
CRIMES ESCALATED, ALONG WITH
HIS DRUG ABUSE.
I HAD SIX OR SEVEN
ATTEMPTED MURDERS, 15 OR 20
ASSAULTS, FORGERY, ARMED
ROBBERY, B & Es, ARSON
CHARGES -- I MEAN, YOU NAME
IT, I DID IT.
I THOUGHT NOTHING COULD KILL
ME.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, THE
DEMON GAVE ME THIS POWER,
AND I BELIEVED THAT I WAS
INDESTRUCTIBLE.
I WOULD TAKE SIX OR SEVEN
HITS OF L.S.D. AT ONE TIME.
I WOULD TAKE DRUGS TO THE
EXTREME JUST TO SEE IF IT
WOULD KILL ME.
I TOOK A NEEDLE AND DREW UP
LIQUID P.C.P. AND STUCK IT
IN MY ARM TO SEE IF I COULD
LIVE.
IT FROZE MY BODY UP, BUT I
LIVED.
Reporter: AS VICE
PRESIDENT OF THE GANG, BOBBY
WAS ALSO AN ENFORCER.
I WOULD HAVE TO GO AND
KNOCK ON DOORS AND SAY, DO
YOU HAVE THE MONEY.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE
MONEY.
THE NEXT TIME I SEEN THEM,
THERE WAS NO CONVERSATION.
I WOULD TAKE A BAT OR BRASS
KNUCKLES OR A WEAPON AND DO
WHAT I HAD TO DO.
Reporter: ONE NIGHT
AFTER DOING COCAINE AND
COMMITTING A TERRIBLE
ASSAULT, BOBBY LEFT THE
CRIME SCENE, BUT THIS TIME
IN FEAR OF BEING CAUGHT.
I WENT OUTSIDE AND GOT IN
MY TRUCK, AND I SEEN I HAD
BLOOD EVERYWHERE ON ME.
I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF
THE ROAD AND WASHED MY HANDS
AND MADE A PHONE CALL.
AND I TOLD MY SISTER, I
SAID, I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I
JUST DID.
I JUST BECAME REAL BITTER,
AND IT MADE ME SINK EVEN
INTO A DARKER WORLD.
I WAS READY TO TAKE THREE OR
FOUR PEOPLE'S LIFE AT THAT
TIME.
THEN I BECAME MARYLAND'S
MOST-WANTED, AND I WOULD
FLEE FROM STATE TO STATE.
I WOULD GO TO PHILADELPHIA,
PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK.
AND WHEN I CAME BACK TO
BALTIMORE, I WAS TIRED OF
RUNNING.
Reporter: THE
AUTHORITIES FINALLY CAUGHT
UP WITH BOBBY.
ONE COP GRABBED ME AND
RUSHED ME AND PUT ME IN A
COP CAR.
AND I DROVE AWAY INSTANTLY
FROM THE SCENE.
AND I HAD A HOOD ON MY HEAD,
AND HE LOOKED BACK AND ASKED
ME, WAS I OKAY?
AND I SAID, WHY WOULD YOU
ASK ME IF I'M OKAY?
I'M A MONSTER.
AND HE SAID I JUST WANT TO
LET YOU KNOW I'M A CHRISTIAN
AND I GOT YOU OUT OF THERE
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WOULD
LIKE TO TAKE YOUR LIFE.
THAT SHOWED ME, AT THAT
POINT, THAT GOD HAD HIS HAND
OVER ME.
AND I STARTED CRYING IN THE
COP CAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T
THINK I DESERVED GRACE.
I DIDN'T EVEN DESERVE
FORGIVENESS.
Reporter: HE WAS
SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN
PRISON.
IT WOULD TAKE A PRISON
SENTENCE AND GOD BRINGING ME
TO MY KNEES, AND THE
SCRIPTURE SAYS, ALL KNEES
WILL BOW ONE DAY.
I WAS BOWING ON MY KNEES.
I DIDN'T THINK ANYONE COULD
MAKE ME BEND MY KNEES
BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS
INDESTRUCTIBLE AND POWERFUL
AND I COULD DO WHAT I WANT.
Reporter: BOBBY DECIDED
TO TELL GOD ABOUT HIS
PROBLEMS.
WHEN I DID, I THOUGHT GOD
WOULD PUNISH ME.
BUT HE TOLD ME HE LOVED ME
AND HIS LOVE BROKE ME.
Reporter: BOBBY
RENOWNED THE DEAL HE MADE
WITH THE DEVIL YEARS
BEFORE.
I WAS LOOKING FOR PUNS;
PUNISHMENT AND HE GAVE ME
FORGIVENESS AND THAT CHANGED
MY LIFE.
I FOUND MYSELF FREE IN
PRISON.
Reporter: BOBBY WAS A
NEW CHRISTIAN WITH A FRESH
LOVE FOR GOD AND OTHER
PEOPLE.
DURING HIS TIME IN PRISON,
HE STUDIED HIS BIBLE AND LED
MANY FELLOW INMATES TO
CHRIST.
HE ALSO MET DOUG CORNELIUS,
THE PRISON CHAPLAIN.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER
MET ANOTHER PERSON WITH A
HEART AS BIG AS BOB WHEN IT
COMES TO WANTING TO HELP
PEOPLE.
Reporter: HE WAS THE
ONLY INMATE THAT I EVER
EXPERIENCED THAT HAD THE
RESPECT OF ALL OF THE GANGS
IN THE PRISON,
ADMINISTRATORS AND ALL OF
THE GANGS.
Reporter: TODAY, BOBBY
LOVES TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT
JESUS.
IF I DIDN'T HAVE CHRIST
IN MY LIFE TODAY, I WOULD BE
SELLING DRUGS.
BUT I DEPEND UPON GOD TO
MAKE IT EVERY DAY.
I WAKE UP EVERY DAY PRAYING,
GOD, PLEASE, HELP ME MAKE IT
THIS DAY TO PLEASE YOU.
THAT'S WHERE I BELIEVE MY
SUCCESS COMES FROM AND MY
BLESSING.
IF GOD CAN FORGIVE ME, HE
CAN FORGIVE ANYBODY.
MY WHOLE STORY IS ABOUT
GOD'S LOVE.
SO I HOPE THAT MY LIFE AND
MY STORY CAN GIVE HOPE TO
SOMEBODY THAT THEY CAN BE
FORGIVEN AND LIVE A LIFE, NO
MATTER WHAT IT COMES FROM.
THAT GOD CAN FORGIVE.