Man Says He Mistook Special Needs Son for Intruder, Shot Him, Then Cremated Body: Sheriff

According to Joseph P. MacDonough of the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office (via KTRE), deputies were called to the home of Michael Howard around 2pm on December 2. When authorities arrived at the scene, MacDonough said Howard told them he had “accidentally” shot his own son, “who he had mistaken for an intruder on his own property.”

Per MacDonough, Howard’s son, 20-year-old Mark Howard, was diagnosed with Down syndrome, and was described “high-functioning.”

The shooting, Howard allegedly said, happened on the evening before … with MacDonough saying there was a good 17 hours between when his son was killed and when he called authorities.

Howard also allegedly told deputies he threw the body in a backhoe tractor and brought it to a remote area of his property, where he “cremated” his son on a pile of wood and burnable material. As for why he allegedly “cremated” to body, MacDonough said Howard told them he did it “in accordance with what he felt his son would have wanted.”

Calling it a “horrible accident,” Howard also allegedly showed authorities the shotgun used, before deputies searched the area to make sure Mark was indeed missing. After Howard also showed them where he allegedly burned the body, a search warrant was obtained for the property and they discovered “what we believe to be body parts and bones, specifically a portion of the lower jaw … which contained a few teeth.”

Per MacDonough, there were also “indications that the scene had actually been washed, cleaned with a water hose.”

According to Sabine County District Attorney Paul Robbins, who also spoke at a press conference on Thursday, Howard will be charged with murder, desecration of a corpse, and tampering with a crime scene. His bail was set at $10 million per charge, per MacDonough, who called it a “bizarre crime.”

The sheriff said the man’s wife and eldest son were also interviewed, with MacDonough saying it’s his “understanding” that Howard called them both before contacting authorities.

Nobody but the father and son duo were at the home at the time of the incident and, at the time, authorities don’t believe there are any other suspects.