Woman pleads guilty to boyfriend's murder

July 26, 2005

KATE KELLY\Frontiersman reporter

A Mat-Su woman who pleaded guilty Friday to killing her disabled boyfriend by setting his home on fire one year ago could spend the rest of her life in prison.

Niobie Lee Ewing, 31, will be sentenced Oct. 24 in Palmer Superior Court for the August 2004 murder of Thomas Bourbeau, 56, at the Finger Lakes home they shared off Schelin Spur Road at Mile 4.5 Palmer-Wasilla Hwy.

She faces 40 to 60 years in prison after agreeing to a plea bargain that lessened the severity of her charges, changing them from first-degree murder and first-degree arson to second-degree murder, according to the district attorney's office.

All other charges, including manslaughter, criminal mischief and endangering the welfare of a vulnerable adult were dropped because of her change of plea.

Ewing, who reportedly cried in court Friday, had allegedly confessed to setting the Aug. 1 blaze after getting into an argument with Bourbeau, who was wheelchair-dependent, that Sunday evening.

According to court documents filed by Alaska State Troopers, Ewing called Bourbeau's friend, Michelle Walter, and told her she had taken a can of gasoline from the garage and poured it on Bourbeau, throughout the house, down the stairs and into the garage.

"I can't believe I killed the son of a bitch," Ewing reportedly told Walter that night. Walter also told investigators she received a call from Bourbeau at the same time, telling her Ewing had poured gas all over him and the house. Walter then called 911.

Ewing's adolescent son told troopers he heard his mother arguing with Bourbeau before she instructed him to grab some clothes. The boy said they went outside and his mother kicked a hole in the garagze door, crawled in the garage, grabbed a red gas can and proceeded to pour gasoline on Bourbeau and in the house, according to court documents.

The fire was allegedly lit with Ewing's purple lighter from inside the garage. Her son reportedly heard a "whoosh" sound and saw a flash, according to charging documents filed in the case.

Ewing then walked down the road with her son to wait for a ride.

A neighbor reported the fire, which brought about 35 firefighters, seven water tankers, two fire engines, and one rescue vehicle.

Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters discovered Bourbeau's charred body in an upstairs bedroom.

Ewing has been held in jail since then, held in lieu of $75,000 cash-only bail.