Cynthia Bowers

(CBS) Cynthia Bowers has been a CBS News Correspondent based in Chicago since January 1999. Before that, she was based in Dallas.

During that time, Bowers has covered a wide variety of domestic and international stories. She reported on the war and refugee crisis in Kosovo and the Columbine shooting tragedy in Colorado. Bowers also broke the story of a man who had been on death row for 16 years who was eventually freed thanks to her report on CBS News’ This Morning about a Northwestern University professor and his students who were investigating the case. The man who committed the murder saw Bowers' report. She then interviewed his ex-wife, who confirmed that he committed the murder. He subsequently surrendered and confessed. Since then, a second death row inmate has been freed and an investigation of the conduct of the police department was undertaken.

Bowers also contributes to other broadcasts, including 48 Hours and CBS News Sunday Morning.

She was the anchor of the CBS Morning News (1997-98), after having served as its co-anchor (1996-97).

Before that, Bowers was an anchor at CNN and CNN International (1994-96). She worked for WAPT-TV Jackson, Miss., as the 5:00 PM anchor and a reporter (1992-94). She served as an associate producer and the weekend anchor at WLBT-TV, also in Jackson (1988-92). Her first on-air job was as a reporter and anchor at WCBI-TV, the CBS affiliate in Columbus, Miss. (1987-88). Before that, Bowers was a technical director at WSB-TV Atlanta (1985-86) and, among other technical positions, served as a director of live news for CNN (1980-83).

Her first job in television was as an intern at the Armed Forces Network station in Berlin, Germany, followed by weekend "go-fer" work at ABC in New York.

Bowers was born Feb. 16, 1958 in Birmingham, Ala. She attended Arizona State University. Bowers and her husband, a photojournalist, have two children and live outside Chicago.