Joshua Bowser

A Lyndora man accused of lending a vehicle to another person to dispose of a homicide victim's body continues to be held in the county jail after a bail reduction request was denied in Butler County Court on Friday.

Joshua W. Bowser, 22, continues to be held in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail, after being charged June 13 with felony hindering apprehension, and misdemeanor criminal conspiracy to commit abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, in the homicide investigation regarding the shooting death of 26-year-old Melissa Barto on June 8.

Bowser's attorney, Ken Harris, filed the motion asking for Bowser to be released on his own recognizance or on nominal bail. Judge Timothy McCune denied that motion based on the charges and allegations behind those charges.

During Friday's proceeding Harris said Bowser has no prior convictions and if convicted, the bottom of the standard range for sentencing on the charges calls for time served to three months.

Bowser testified Friday that he lives with family in Lyndora and was employed at the time of his arrest. He also said while incarcerated, he has continued counseling with Family Psychological Services and has made preparations to continue that counseling if released.

Assistant District Attorney Terri Schultz argued that the bond was appropriate based on the severity of allegations against Bowser.

“He knew what the car was going to be used for, and allowed it to occur,” she said.

Bowser was charged by the Pennsylvania State Police during the investigation into Barto's death. Police say her boyfriend, Ishemer Ramsey, 21, also of Lyndora, shot and killed her in his vehicle on June 8, during an argument over his belief that she had been unfaithful to him.

Police said Bowser had conversations with Ramsey about Barto's death, and lent him and another man — James E. Howard-George of Butler, who also faces charges in the incident — his vehicle, a tan 2004 Pontiac Grand Am, to dispose of the body.

Barto's remains were later found badly burned in a rural section of Neshannock Township, Lawrence County. She was reported missing after not showing up for her daughter's kindergarten graduation.

Bowser later told police that “he knew Ishemer Ramsey was borrowing the vehicle to dispose of the body of Melissa Barto,” troopers testified during his preliminary hearing.

A search warrant conducted on that vehicle showed a positive test for blood on the carpeted area of the spare tire location in the trunk, police said.

Police also said that Bowser admitted to providing tools that were used to remove the passenger seat in Ramsey's vehicle, where the homicide occurred.

Ramsey was charged with criminal homicide and related counts, while Howard-George was charged with conspiracy to commit homicide. Both continue being held without bail.

A fourth person, Justin M. Johnson, 19, was also charged in the investigation with felony hindering apprehension or prosecution and misdemeanor false reports to law enforcement authorities once it was alleged that after Ramsey's arrest, Johnson made efforts to interfere with the investigation by providing an alibi for him.

Johnson was also held on $100,000 bail, before being released onto pretrial supervision following a bond modification hearing of his own in September.