Patient Kills Chiropractor Over Worsened Jaw Pain After Treatment

Pennsylvania man, Joseph O’Boyle, 23, pleaded guilty to criminal homicide this past Friday for the murder of Dr. James Sowa, his chiropractor. 

According to reports, back in November of 2020 O’Boyle showed up at Dr. Sowa’s office and home without an appointment. O’Boyle sought an initial appointment with Dr. Sowa back in September 2020 to help with his jaw pain, but evidently, it worsened. O’Boyle blamed his chiropractor for his inflamed symptoms and went to Dr. Sowa’s office that morning to confront him. A minute later, video surveillance shows O’Boyle fleeing the scene. 

O’Boyle admits to killing Dr. Sowa during those moments in the early morning of November 2nd. He apparently struck Dr. Sowa three times on the back of the head with a heavy object and fractured the chiropractor’s skull in two. O’Boyle then struck Dr. Sowa in the jaw after he collapsed to the ground. 

Dr. Sowa’s body was discovered at 3:30 p.m. the same day by one of his adult sons after a long morning and afternoon of raising concerns from his family and patients due to his prolonged absence.

Days later O’Boyle’s father confronted him about the murder, and ultimately, turned his son in which allowed Bensalem police to get a search warrant and investigate O’Boyle for the murder of Dr. Sowa.

O’Boyle is reportedly due back in court on the 6th of June for a hearing to determine his sentencing.