+34
Madisson Bowler and her father Tony will relocate to Florida for up to a year to fight for custody of Meaghan Bowler's two young sons, who are living with their paternal grandmother in Sarasota while their father faces a murder charge.
Madisson Bowler will travel to Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday to fight for custody of her sister's two young sons. The 27-year-old tennis coach from Terrigal wants to raise the boys in Australia, surrounded by their maternal family.
She cherishes childhood memories with her older sister Meaghan, filled with tennis matches, beach swims, and dreams of one day raising their own kids together. Meaghan Bowler was a 32-year-old former tennis coach and photographer from Terrigal. She lived in Florida for 2 and a half years before she was allegedly murdered by her American husband, Jesse Nicholas Jones, in a shocking domestic attack. Meaghan was killed in the home she shared with Jones, 39, and their children in April.
The boys were aged two and nine months at the time of her death. Jones called 911 the day after the alleged murder. He told an emergency operator he had stabbed his wife and had dumped her body in their bathtub. Jones and Bowler married three months after she left Australia in 2023.
They had met in an online chat group during the COVID lockdowns. The Bowlers lost contact with Meaghan in June 2024. Jones sought to limit outside communication, leaving the family unaware of her home address and two pregnancies. Madisson will be joined by her father, Tony.
Madisson Bowler Travels to Florida for Custody Battle
They will relocate to Florida for up to a year to fight a complex custody battle for Meaghan's children. The boys are living in Sarasota with their paternal grandmother while their father is in prison. Madisson and Tony will meet the children, now aged two and one, for the first time. They will seek to convince the US courts that Australia is the best place to raise the boys.
Madisson and Tony have also bonded with the children through monthly, court-mandated Zoom calls. Madisson said it will be a very emotional day. She said the family did not see Meaghan for a long time, and the children are a part of her. She hopes they take on all the great traits of who Meaghan was.
Meaghan was educated at Pymble Ladies' College. She worked at the Sydney Swans and Raine and Horne Mosman before moving overseas. Jones met Meaghan in person when he travelled to Australia in December 2022. They had struck a rapport online before his visit.
The Bowler family begged Meaghan not to follow Jones to the US, according to Tony, who observed a string of red flags shortly after they were introduced. Tony said Jones thought the Earth was flat and was drinking large amounts of alcohol at all times of the day. He said the family saw the manipulation. Tony said he thought Jones was going to try to steal Meaghan away from them.
Bowler Family Seeks Temporary Custody for Boys
The family intends to apply for temporary custody of the children once they are in Florida. They will then push for permanent care. The boys do not have US birth certificates or social security numbers. This complicates an administrative process that will include an application for Australian citizenship.
The children's case will next be heard in court in November. The criminal trial against Jones is expected to begin in mid-2027. Jones and his mother are pushing for custody of the boys. Tony said he has seen Meaghan as a baby and can see the resemblance in the boys.
He said their eyes, nose and eyebrows look just like Meaghan. Tony said he would love for the boys to know who their mother was. He wants them to learn about her as they grow older, so the family can pass on what a wonderful person she was. Madisson remembers her sister as a beautiful woman who people were drawn to.
Madisson will be the boys' primary caregiver if the family gains custody. She hopes they can enjoy a life completely separate from what they encountered in Florida. She said the family has a chance to take the boys out of that loop. She believes that is what Meaghan would want.
Jesse Jones Faces Murder Charge and Life Imprisonment
Jones has been charged with murder by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. He is facing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. He has pleaded not guilty. He has been evaluated by mental health experts for his capacity to stand trial.
Jones was an unemployed real estate agent at the time of Meaghan's death. Jones' parental rights will almost certainly be terminated if he is convicted of murder. Tom Sasser is the former president of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He said under Florida law it is very unusual for the family of the deceased to be denied custody.
Legal Experts Support Family Custody Claim
The Florida-based lawyer added that the preference for decades has been the deceased person's family over the slayer. Sydney-based family law specialist and Mills Oakley partner Susan Warda has joined the Bowlers' case. Warda will apply for a mirror order so any custody agreement ruled in Florida is enforced in Australia. The family has retained a US lawyer for the children's case.
smh 
theage:Meaghan was killed in her Florida home. Now her sister wants to bring her nephews to Australia 
brisbanetimes:Meaghan was killed in her Florida home. Now her sister wants to bring her nephews to AustraliaThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Madisson Bowler Custody Bid Florida Murder Case Jesse Nicholas Jones International Custody Battle Madisson Bowler Custody Battle Jesse Nicholas Jones Murder Florida Custody Case Terrigal Family
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Artist Amanda Bennetts uses sculpture to fight back against targeted ads that preyed on her illnessAfter being bombarded with insensitive ads for funeral services and medical equipment following a rare disease diagnosis, conceptual artist Amanda Bennetts created a large-scale sculpture, "Axis Mundi", to reclaim her privacy and condemn the invasive nature of targeted advertising algorithms. The work, which resembles a pierced data tower, is her artistic response to the monetization of personal health data.
Read more »
Volkanovski and Evloev share history ahead of UFC 332 title fightUFC Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski and unbeaten challenger Movsar Evloev reveal they shared gym rounds years ago, but both fighters emphasize that past training experience is irrelevant as they prepare for their upcoming bout for the vacant UFC Women's flyweight title at UFC 332.
Read more »
Historic Journey: Australia's Fight Against Domestic Violence from 19th Century to TodayZoe Smith traces the evolution of domestic violence in Australia, highlighting key reforms, criticisms of early national plans, and contemporary prevention strategies, while drawing lessons from international best practices.
Read more »