Commonwealth v. Bowen

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Eagen,

On January 15, 1946, the appellant, Joseph Bowen, while represented by two self-retained counsel, pled guilty generally to three separate indictments, each charging him with murder. The victims were his wife and his two young children. After an evidentiary hearing before a three-judge court, Bowen was found guilty of murder in the first degree on each indictment. A sentence of life imprisonment was then imposed on one indictment, and sentence was suspended on the other two indictments. No appeal was entered.

On September 5, 1968, Bowen filed a pro se petition…