Houston Attorney Arrested After Fatally Shooting, Cremating Special Needs Son

A man has been taken into custody and is facing charges of homicide, improper handling of a body, and manipulation of evidence following the death of his child.

According to KCTV 5, Michael C. Howard, 68, a Houston attorney, allegedly shot his son Mark Randall Howard, 20, at their weekend home in Sabine County, Texas.

Howard was formally diagnosed with Down syndrome but was considered high-functioning and gainfully employed, according to the New York Post.

During a press conference on Thursday, Sabine County investigator Joseph McDonough stated that Michael Howard believed his son was an intruder and shot him with a shotgun. According to the New York Post, he then used a tractor backhoe to move the body, transporting his son to a trash woodpile about two miles away on their over 2,500-acre property, where he “cremated” the body.

Investigators reported that Michael Howard claimed he “cremated his son in accordance with what he felt his son would have wanted.”

“It is a bizarre crime anywhere you are, just because of the nature of the event,” McDonough said. “Mr. Howard committed this act, and in furtherance of that, burned the body and cleaned the crime scene, which, as an investigator, I would take as indicative of nefarious purposes.”

Michael and Mark Howard had arrived at the family’s Sabine property either on November 30 or December 1 and were said to be the only people on the property, with a possible “caretaker” having access.

Prior to their arrival on November 29, police were called to the property for the theft of a tractor and trailer. Michael Howard used the work phone number on the business card left behind by the responding officer to report the shooting around 2 p.m. on the following Monday, according to KCTV5.

On the afternoon of November 29, deputies had been called to the property regarding the theft of a Kubota tractor and trailer. The responding deputy left their business card with Michael Howard, who later called the work phone to report the shooting the following Monday at around 2 p.m.

Howard’s bond is set at $20 million, and he is being held in Sabine County jail.

[Feature Photo via Sabine County Jail]

You May Also Like

A British mom and her two young daughters die in a car accident in New York as a fancy wig designer’s Audi hits them while they walk along a crowded street.

Tributes have been given to a well-liked British woman and her two…

“Suffolk Law Graduate Dubbed ‘Screaming Banshee’ Smelling of Liquor Hits victim With Car and Insults Officer”

Lauren Mullins, an aspiring lawyer, was driving home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after…

“Germany Deploys 5,000 Troops for First Foreign Mission Since World War 2 to Confront Putin”

GERMANY launched its first deployment of troops to foreign soil since World…

Father faces threat of arrest for daughter’s female-only fundraiser excluding transgender women

A man faced the risk of being arrested following a dispute with…

Mother and her 5- and 8-year-old daughters tragically killed by a driver who claimed to be possessed by evil during a collision as they were walking back home in NYC

A BRITISH mum and her two daughters were killed in a horror…

British Couple Found Dead in New Zealand Home After Family Alerts Police

A BRITISH couple have been found dead at home in New Zealand,…

Karen Read: Selection of Jury Begins for Trial of Woman Accused of Murdering Veteran Police Officer

The retrial of Karen Read, a Massachusetts woman accused of killing her…

Staff Member of Senator Cory Booker Arrested at Capitol for Gun Charge Shortly Before Senator Began Lengthy Speech

One of Senator Cory Booker’s staff members was taken into custody for…

Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim, charged by police days before bus crash leaves her on deathbed

Virginia Giuffre, a victim of sex trafficking, found herself in legal trouble…

‘Women on park bench’ confront pregnant woman for sitting in their usual spot using offensive language.

A pregnant mother was left humiliated when two ‘Karens’ mercilessly berated her,…

Concerned friends share the mysterious disappearance of missing British man Jason Taylor at the airport while returning from a stag party in Benidorm

CONCERNED pals have revealed details about how missing Brit Jason Taylor vanished…

“Exploring Iceland in 2025: What to Know about the Recent Volcanic Activity near the Blue Lagoon Destination”

NEWS of another volcanic eruption in Iceland have stoked fears about travelling…