Houston Attorney Shot and Burned His Son with Down Syndrome, Claims It Was an Accident

An attorney from Houston, Texas, has reportedly killed his son by shooting him and burning his body.

Michael C. Howard, 68, is accused of shooting his 20-year-old son, who had Down syndrome, and burning his body in a pile of wood.

Reportedly, Michael called the authorities the next morning, about 17 hours later, and told them it was a big accident, claiming he had mistaken his son, Mark Randall Howard, for an intruder. He also allegedly washed the scene of the shooting with a water hose.

Howard faces charges of murder and tampering with evidence, with potential additional charges pending.

Investigators say Michael told them he took his son’s body and placed it in the front-loading bucket of a backhoe tractor. Michael then reportedly put Mark’s body on a woodpile and set it on fire.

When deputies arrived, Michael showed them the shotgun he claimed to have used during the shooting the previous night.

Deputies, along with the Texas Rangers, said Michael then led them to the woodpile, where they reportedly found what they believed to be charred body parts and bones.

According to the sheriff’s office, Michael’s bond was set at $10 million for each charge.

The site where Mark Howard’s body was believed to have been burned was around a mile and a half from where the two were staying on their Sabine County property, according to Sheriff MacDonough.

Michael Howard allegedly burned the body afterward because he believed it was in accordance with his son’s wishes.

Deputies recovered burned fragments of a lower jaw with some teeth still intact at the alleged burn site. Those remains were sent to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Sabine County scene was described as a “weekend property” for the Howards. Michael Howard resides in Houston, where he works as an attorney. The property had been owned by a corporation in Michael Howard’s name. It is an address to which sheriff’s deputies have been called in the past.

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

Michael and Mark Howard both allegedly arrived at the property on either Thursday or Friday and were believed to have been the only people staying there.

However, one other person, identified as a “caretaker,” had access to the property, officials said.