By Nathan Baca
News Channel 3

Detectives say they've solved a five year-long murder mystery, but the local teenaged girl who was tortured and drowned still lies in an unmarked grave.

Imperial County Detectives are now working on giving the Palm Desert teen a proper burial.

The grave of 14-year-old Courtney Lynn Bowser can be found in a dirt lot in the city of Holtville near El Centro. She is buried among the unknown dead at a gravesite 100 miles from home. It took years for Bowser -- a murder victim -- to be known as something more than "Jane Doe" or the number Imperial County assigned to her case, 3962.

"I can never understand why anyone so young has to die for really no apparent reason other than some property that was taken," Imperial County Detective Miguel Leon said. "It doesn't make sense to me. It doesn't make any sense. Everyone describes her as being a very beautiful young girl."

Courtney Bowser and her family lived at a house on California Street in Palm Desert. In August 2003, police say she went to a party at a nearby apartment complex.

Detectives believe that cousins Floyd Lavender and Michael Gaines were at that party. The two allegedly stole checks worth $250,000. They accused Courtney of taking the stolen checks at the party.

It was at the Desert Oasis Apartments on Country Club near Washington Street that Courtney Bowser went missing. Detectives say the two men physically tortured her all night long.

"It was enough pain that they were crying. They were begging not to be tortured again," explained Det. Leon.

Courtney's parents reported her missing. As a missing 14-year-old girl, she was regarded as a runaway. Her naked body was then found days later. She was drowned in a shallow irrigation ditch north of the city of Holtville, 100 miles southeast of Palm Desert.

It took detectives years to identify the body as Courtney through dental records. In a simultaneous arrest on March 12, Floyd Lavender was arrested in Palm Springs. Michael Gaines was arrested in El Centro. Both are being held on $1 million bail.

Courtney's parents no longer live in the Desert. They are reportedly too poor to move her from the county's unmarked burial site.

"Once the case is adjudicated, yes, we're going to go out to the community. We know some very prominent people that have indicated to us that they're willing to help, so we're going to be asking for donations not only from our community but from the Palm Desert area," said Detective Leon.

Detectives will wait for the trial to finish to ask for donations. If you'd like to help, call Det. Miguel Leon at 760-339-6298 or email at mleon@imperialcounty.net.