A 68-year-old Houston attorney has been charged for fatally shooting his 20-year-old son suffering from Down syndrome. Michael C Howard claimed that he had mistaken his son, Mark Randall Howard, for an intruder.
Howard rather than reporting the incident, transported his son’s body using a tractor backhoe to a remote location about 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) away on his extensive 2,500-acre property. He then placed the body on a wood pile and burned it.
He then contacted the authorities approximately 17 hours after the incident.
Law enforcement officials later recovered body parts and bones from the site, which were sent to Jefferson County’s medical examiner’s office.
Howard described the incident as a “horrible accident” to investigators, stating that he “cremated his son in accordance with what he felt his son would have wanted.”
Sabine County Sheriff’s Office Deputy JP MacDonough said that Howard’s actions in burning the body and cleaning the crime scene suggested concerning motives.
Despite having Down syndrome, the victim was described as high-functioning and employed. Two days before the incident, Howard had reported theft of property, including a large mower and trailer, although authorities have not confirmed if this influenced his reaction.
Howard faces charges of murder and tampering with evidence, with potential additional charges pending. He remains in Sabine County jail with bonds totalling $20 million.
