As questions remain over the mysterious death of missing Jackson man Dau Mabil, a Hinds County chancery judge has decided what will happen with Mabil’s body following a hearing in a lawsuit between his widow and brother earlier this week.
On Thursday, Judge Dewayne Thomas issued two rulings, granting portions of arguments from both Karissa Bowley and Bul Mabil as the two have fought over how to proceed with Dau’s remains. One ruling replaces Bul with Bowley as a plaintiff in the matter also involving the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) as Thomas clarified Bowley as Dau’s next of kin. The second ruling allows an independent autopsy to be performed at the expense and direction of Bul as both he and Bowley remain skeptical over law enforcement’s work throughout the investigation so far.
In the meantime, Dau’s body will remain in the custody of DPS as the state conducts an official autopsy and wraps up the investigation. Bul, with Bowley granting an independent autopsy in court this week, can then move forward in hiring a qualified pathologist to perform another. The preliminary autopsy revealed a body found in the Pearl River about 60 miles outside of Jackson on April 13 to be that of Dau’s with the Lawrence County sheriff saying no foul play was expected.
“[A]t hearing, Karissa Bowley testified as to her consent for an independent autopsy of the remains of Dau Mabil to be conducted at the direction and expense of Bul Garang Mabil, subject to limited safeguards,” Thomas wrote. “At hearing, a representative for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety acknowledged the ability and willingness to retain custody of the bodily of remains of Dau Mabil until an autopsy could be conducted.”
With the case garnering both statewide and national attention, Bowley testified in court that she was willing to share autopsy results with the public upon receiving a full report from the state. Bul wants to ensure that the state does not miss anything as seen in other cases across the U.S. in the past.
“Karissa Bowley further testified with regard to her understanding that this matter is of particular public interest; she acknowledged her willingness to reveal the results of the autopsy of the bodily remains of Dau Mabil to the public upon her receipt of the same,” Thomas continued.
Dau Mabil, who moved to Mississippi after escaping civil unrest in his home country of Sudan, originally went missing on March 25 during a routine walk throughout the Belhaven neighborhood where he lived. The 33-year-old was seen on video surveillance on Jefferson Street between Fortification and High Street. Mabil never returned home and did not have his phone with him at the time of his disappearance, resulting in Bowley filing a missing person’s report that night.
While members of the Belhaven community and others in and around Jackson came together to search for Dau, those efforts were dampened when his body turned up two and a half weeks later. Court proceedings this week highlighted an up-and-down relationship between Dau and Bowley as text messages revealed the two blaming each other for a variety of issues including verbal and physical abuse, substance abuse, and uncontrolled emotions.
