Did a former Idaho state trooper use his training to stage his wife's death?

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Kootenai County Sheriff's Deputy Miranda Thomas volition ne'er hide coming look to look with a distraught Dan Howard, a erstwhile authorities trooper, astatine his location successful Northern Idaho connected a acold winter's greeting successful February 2021.

Deputy Miranda Thomas: He would shriek and yell, but determination were nary tears successful his eyes. At immoderate constituent helium would, um, enactment similar helium was gagging ... But thing would ever really happen.

Thomas was 1 of the archetypal responders to Dan Howard's home, a spot helium shared with Kendy, his woman of 26 years.

DEPUTY (bodycam): Dan, I cognize this is hard but, erstwhile — erstwhile is the past clip that you saw your woman alive?

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): (crying, unintelligible)

DEPUTY THOMAS (bodycam): Dan, bash you privation aesculapian to look astatine you astatine all?

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): No.

DEPUTY THOMAS (bodycam): OK.

Dan Howard told constabulary helium discovered his woman successful the bathtub. He said she had changeable herself successful the head. Kendy's ain pistol was astatine the bottommost of the tub successful murky water.

Kootenai County Sheriff's Detective Jerry Northrup arrived earlier midnight.

Peter Van Sant: Were you dispatched … to a imaginable suicide?

Det. Jerry Northrup: Yes sir. … It was identified arsenic a suicide.

EVIDENCE NOT ADDING UP FOR INVESTIGATORS

Northrup instantly began analyzing what was earlier him.

Det. Jerry Northrup: For a pistillate to sprout herself successful the tub, nude, is unusual. It doesn't mean it can't hap It conscionable means that it's unusual.

Northrup, a transgression country expert, says thing was missing from this decease country — particularly considering Kendy had suffered a caput wound.

Det. Jerry Northrup: There would beryllium a batch much humor that was produced. And I conscionable didn't spot that connected her face, connected her assemblage oregon successful the tub.

Thomas besides saw immoderate funny things.

Deputy Miranda Thomas: I went into the location and recovered a packed duffle bag. … Was idiosyncratic readying connected leaving the house?

In the laundry room, the dryer was running. It was afloat of cleanable bath towels and mats.

Deputy Miranda Thomas: Having a … dryer moving astatine midnight, precise odd, due to the fact that I don't bash laundry astatine midnight. Sure, you could but …

And contempt the daze of uncovering his woman dead, Dan Howard appeared to person precocious showered, changed his clothes, and applied caller deodorant.

Deputy Miranda Thomas: You tin archer that he's got deodorant lines connected his T-shirt.

Peter Van Sant: Did thing look un-suicide-like to you?

Det. Jerry Northrup: Certainly. … There was no, different signs of similar a termination note.

It's often modular process to cheque radical astatine a shooting country for GSR, gunshot residue. And arsenic a erstwhile authorities trooper, Dan Howard would cognize that. Yet Northrup says Dan was uneasy astir being tested.

Det. Jerry Northrup: Mr. Howard stuck his hands into his overgarment pockets, and past helium began twisting them to and fro, backmost and distant repeatedly, until we told him to halt and region his hands.

Peter Van Sant: Back and distant arsenic if he's trying to hitch thing off?

Det. Jerry Northrup: Yes. That was the content that we were getting …

Peter Van Sant: What was the result?

Det. Jerry Northrup: It was negative.

Peter Van Sant: It was negative.

Even though detectives were suspicious of each those small pieces of grounds that didn't look to adhd up, they could not regularisation retired the anticipation that Kendy Howard could person taken her ain life.

Kendy's abrupt passing stunned those who loved her.

Michelle Lampert: She loved beingness ... I person ne'er had truthful overmuch amusive with idiosyncratic … nary attraction successful the world.

Michelle Lampert was 1 of Kendy's champion friends.

Michelle Lampert: She ever laughed. … my favourite is rotation people … and past to the brewery … nothing similar rotation people and brewery, but she felt similar that was OK.

Brooke Wilkins: She was a large mom.

Brooke Wilkins is Kendy's girl from an earlier relationship.

Peter Van Sant: Tell maine astir your mom. She conscionable seems truly special.

Brooke Wilkins: She was. She had a large personality. … She was blessed to speech to anyone and marque a person and gag around.

Kendy was a tiny municipality miss from bluish Idaho — sporty and outdoorsy, says her member Brian Wilkins.

Brian Wilkins: She … rode her equine a lot, had sheep for 4H and … and, well, she had a goat, too, astatine the aforesaid time.

Kendy was conscionable 22 erstwhile she joined erstwhile Marine-turned-Idaho authorities trooper Dan Howard. He was six years older.

Peter Van Sant: Did she speech astir the attraction?

Brooke Wilkins: She did deliberation helium was precise handsome. And I deliberation the consciousness of information is simply a taxable that was brought up rather a bit.

The mates settled connected 10 acres successful the municipality of Athol, conscionable a speck connected the map, located 21 miles northbound of Coeur D'Alene. They had a lad together, Wyatt. Like his dad, Wyatt became a Marine. A neighbor, Cari Maitland, says Dan and Kendy's matrimony seemed strong.

Cari Maitland: They were affectionate towards each different and … they were mostly respectful to each other.

Kendy worked astatine a section aesculapian center. During 26 years of marriage, they made bully wealth successful existent property successful this fast-growing state. By the clip of Kendy's death, the mates had much than $2 cardinal successful assets. And yet, wealth created friction betwixt them.

Michelle Lampert: Her wealth was his wealth and his wealth was his money. … He ne'er wanted to walk money.

And determination was much friction successful the marriage, according to friends, aft Dan Howard — moving arsenic a trooper for the Idaho State Police — changeable and killed a pistillate during a postulation stop. Dan was cleared of each wrongdoing, but the incidental took its toll connected Kendy.

Cari Maitland: I bash judge … she did go depressed.

Years later, Dan Howard would permission the Idaho State Police.

Cari Maitland: And things benignant of changed betwixt them.

Kendy's member Brian Wilkins helped Dan find enactment connected the North Slope — the lipid fields of Alaska. He'd enactment 3 weeks consecutive and past travel location for 3 weeks.

Michelle Lampert: She was escaped for 3 weeks is erstwhile she truly decided to acquisition life.

Brian Wilkins says the mates grew apart.

Brian Wilkins: There was arguing, bickering beauteous overmuch the full clip I'd beryllium up determination astir him. But I didn't deliberation it was anything.

But Brooke Wilkins says it was the opening of the extremity of their relationship. Kendy was frustrated and lonely.

Brooke Wilkins: She's precise vocal that she does not emotion him; that there's nary emotion successful this marriage.

Lampert says Kendy had an affair, and adjacent planned integrative surgery.

Michelle Lampert: She was conscionable ace excited.

And that's erstwhile Kendy told Dan she was moving retired and wanted a divorce. And she had started the process of buying a caller house.

Michelle Lampert: And I deliberation she truly felt that it would beryllium OK.

By the extremity of January 2021, conscionable days earlier her death, Kendy met with a divorcement lawyer. When Dan came location from enactment —

Michelle Lampert: She conscionable told him … I mean, she conscionable told him everything. And I deliberation [at] that constituent I did get scared. … She said helium was fine. He wasn't fine.

QUESTIONING DAN HOWARD'S VERSION OF THE EVENTS

Michelle Lampert: It ne'er made consciousness to me. It ne'er made sense.

When archetypal responders examined Kendy Howard's assemblage successful her bathtub, she had a gunshot coiled to the backmost of her rima and her pistol was successful the water. Dan Howard told everyone that Kendy had taken her ain life.

Peter Van Sant: Were you buying that?

Brian Wilkins: No. … I couldn't spot her leaving her kids and granddaughter.

When helium learned his sister was dead, Brian Wilkins rushed implicit to her house. He walked close up to Dan Howard.

Brian Wilkins: There was nary emotion. He wasn't crying. … I asked him if he'd ever wounded my sister. ... helium wouldn't look astatine maine successful the oculus and helium said, "no."

Kendy's friend, Michelle Lampert, was besides definite Kendy had not taken her ain life.

Michelle Lampert: Kendy was not depressed. … You don't deliberation astir doing integrative surgery. You don't spell enactment out. You don't spell to rotation class.

But Cari Maitland, Kendy's neighbor, says Kendy had been deeply unhappy. Months earlier she says Kendy told her astir problems successful her marriage.

Cari Maitland: She's conscionable crying and crying and crying. … And — and she's like, "I don't adjacent merit to beryllium here."

Maitland doesn't deliberation there's immoderate enigma astir what happened successful that bathroom.

Cari Maitland: I bash judge that Kendy committed suicide.

In the hours pursuing Kendy's death, Northrup said helium had questions astir Dan Howard's mentation of events.

Det. Jerry Northrup: There's a — an bid to things and a logical bid … it did not marque sense.

Dryer astatine the location of Kendy and Dan Howard

One happening that didn't marque consciousness that nighttime was the apparel dryer running erstwhile archetypal responders entered the house. There were inactive six minutes showing connected the display. So Northrup did immoderate digging.

Det. Jerry Northrup: I went to the manufacturer's site, pulled up the specifics astir the times for cycles … And past took that accusation and compared that against the clip astatine which the 911 telephone was placed.

Peter Van Sant: And what bash you learn?

Det. Jerry Northrup: That it was started wrong a infinitesimal of the 911 call.

Det. Jerry Northrup: It suggested that helium was doing actions similar starting laundry … alternatively than his assertion that helium was checking connected Kendy Howard and — and that helium was inconsolable and upset … it conscionable — it didn't adhd up.

And determination were different reddish flags for Northrup.

Peter Van Sant: Did you find immoderate signs of a struggle, that there'd been immoderate benignant of a carnal confrontation betwixt these two?

Det. Jerry Northrup: Yes, we did. Up successful the maestro bedroom, we noted connected the level that determination were pieces of breached glass.

And determination was that question of the magnitude of humor successful the bathtub.

Peter Van Sant: With a coiled to the head, that h2o volition beryllium overmuch darker red-colored, right? From the blood?

Det. Jerry Northrup: Yes, sir. Based connected my experience, that would beryllium consistent. That the — the information that determination wasn't — was inconsistent.

Peter Van Sant: Inconsistent, suggesting it mightiness not beryllium a suicide?

Det. Jerry Northrup: Correct. … Everything started directing america to the way that this was a staged transgression scene.

Detective Sergeant Ken Lallatin, present retired, was the pb investigator.

Det. Sgt. Ken Lallatin: Nothing astir this lawsuit felt close from the beginning.

DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): Hi Dan … So what happened tonight?

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): Marital problems … she wants a divorcement 1 time … she doesn't the adjacent … So she brought location divorcement papers, conscionable preliminary ones.

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): We conscionable grew apart, I guess.

Lallatin says helium rapidly became convinced Dan Howard was playing them.

Det. Sgt. Ken Lallatin: I had the consciousness that Dan had a communicative that helium had planned to stock with america that evening … it felt precise contrived.

Peter Van Sant: Almost scripted successful a way?

Det. Sgt. Ken Lallatin: Absolutely. Yeah, decidedly scripted.

One example, Lallatin says, was Dan Howard telling him that Kendy had erstwhile enactment a weapon to her head.

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): She enactment the weapon to her f****** caput … it freaked maine the f*** out... and um I thought for sure… 'here we go' and she dropped the weapon and f****** changeable done the floor.

DETECTIVE (bodycam): Same gun?

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): Same gun.

Lallatin says Dan Howard told him, that aft a heated statement that nighttime implicit splitting their finances, Kendy went upstairs to instrumentality a bath. A abbreviated clip aboriginal Dan heard what helium described arsenic a "thud."

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): It sounded similar thing deed the level oregon something. I don't know.

But helium didn't analyse for much than an hour. That's erstwhile Dan Howard says helium recovered her: dormant successful the tub.

Peter Van Sant: How galore times person you ever described a gunshot arsenic a thud?

Det. Sgt. Ken Lallatin: I don't deliberation I've ever described a gunshot arsenic a thud. … I surely would not expect idiosyncratic who served successful the Marine Corps, served … astir 20 years successful instrumentality enforcement, idiosyncratic who was a firearms instructor, idiosyncratic who had been connected their SWAT team. I deliberation if anybody's going to cognize what the dependable of a gunshot is from wrong a residence, it's going to beryllium Dan Howard.

As the greeting came, Dan Howard called his stepdaughter Brooke Wilkins, and told her the news … it didn't spell well. Lallatin says helium could perceive Brooke shouting astatine Dan done the phone.

DAN HOWARD (bodycam, shouting backmost astatine his phone): What? What are you talking about? …

DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): Who was that Dan? …

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): It was my daughter, Brooke …

DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): Did she conscionable impeach you of this?

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): No.

DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): That's what it sounded like. … Why would she bash that Dan? Why would she deliberation you did this? … I haven't heard idiosyncratic that aggravated successful a agelong clip ... I'll beryllium honorable with you. I was not expecting thing similar that … I was crossed the country and I could perceive her. She's aggravated ...

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): Kids don't privation to judge their moms would bash that.

Det. Sgt. Ken Lallatin: Not 1 clip person I ever been to a termination oregon adjacent heard of 1 wherever 1 of the household members … telephone and impeach her stepdad of murdering her mom. … it was a precise almighty moment. … and I virtually was capable to spot Dan Howard astir physically shrink down.

Peter Van Sant: Like the walls are closing in?

Det. Sgt. Ken Lallatin: Oh, a 100 percent.

WAS THE DEATH SCENE STAGED?

In the aboriginal greeting of Feb. 3, 2021, Dan Howard's behaviour continued raising the suspicions of Kootenai County detectives. They had conscionable overheard that telephone telephone from his stepdaughter, Brooke Wilkins, accusing him of sidesplitting her mother.

Brooke Wilkins: I'm hysterical. I'm crying beauteous hard.

Peter Van Sant: And you're believing that nary mode she changeable herself.

Brooke Wilkins: Right. … I archer him that … I don't cognize what happened, but … "I cognize you did this."

Detective Sgt. Ken Lallatin confronted Dan astir Brooke's accusation:

DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): I gotta archer you, that telephone telephone enactment chills down my spine. …

DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): You did it, didn't you Dan?

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): No, I didn't.

DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): I didn't deliberation so, but now, aft listening to that, I deliberation you did, didn't you?

DAN HOWARD (bodycam): How the hell, however the hellhole — she doesn't know. She wasn't here.

Within minutes, Dan Howard stopped responding to questions. Detectives were present precise suspicious, because, arsenic an ex-cop, helium had peculiar skills.

Det. Sgt. Ken Lallatin: Dan knows things that astir mean people, mean radical don't know.

Peter Van Sant: Things similar what?

Det. Sgt. Ken Lallatin: Things similar sidesplitting idiosyncratic and staging it to look similar a suicide.

But determination wasn't capable carnal grounds astatine the country to apprehension him. What's more, aboriginal that day, an autopsy was done. The aesculapian examiner concluded Kendy died from that gunshot. Brooke Wilkins was perplexed. She says her parent ne'er took her weapon retired of the safe.

Brooke Wilkins: Mom ne'er touched a gun. She wouldn't person utilized a gun. ... there's thing not making consciousness here. And … I'm truthful mislaid and confused due to the fact that … you know, Dan's not arrested.

What Brooke Wilkins didn't cognize was that the probe was zeroing successful connected Dan Howard. Just hours aft Kendy's death, Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Stan Mortensen was called successful to consult with detectives. They pieced unneurotic a elaborate timeline of the couple's relationship.

Peter Van Sant: What did you larn astir Dan Howard?

Stan Mortensen: So we learned … that Dan Howard was not the idiosyncratic that we thought helium was … astatine location and down and closed doors, helium was a antithetic person.

Investigators focused successful connected an alarming incidental Dan Howard was progressive successful from 2013, erstwhile helium was inactive a authorities trooper. Dan had recovered retired Kendy was having an matter with a neighbour — who besides happened to beryllium Dan's bully friend. Enraged, Dan confronted him astatine his office.

Det. Jerry Northrup: He … threatened to — I judge his words were — splatter his brains each implicit the walls.

Peter Van Sant: Threatened to termination him?

Det. Jerry Northrup: Threatened to termination him.

Dan Howard was accused of repeatedly harassing the neighbor, and yet pleaded blameworthy to 2 felonies and served astir 4 months successful jailhouse successful transportation with that incident. He was allowed to resign from the Idaho State Police. After that, Kendy's person Michelle Lampert says the couple's narration seemed to change.

Michelle Lampert: She was stuck to him similar glue, conscionable similar glue, similar hanging each implicit him. And she was ne'er that mode before. .. I deliberation back, going, was she scared?

In the years that followed, Lampert says Dan was controlling and speedy to choler — particularly erstwhile it came to Kendy's spending.

Michelle Lampert: Dan ne'er wanted to spell bash thing origin that would walk money. … I conscionable don't deliberation she was her afloat property erstwhile helium was around.

But erstwhile Dan was astir to caput backmost to Alaska for enactment —

Michelle Lampert: She was a wholly antithetic idiosyncratic … I deliberation she realized the much she was free, the much she loved life. And she didn't person to beryllium nether his thumb.

They continued to turn apart. Then Kendy told Lampert astir an explosive argument, conscionable 7 months earlier her death.

Michelle Lampert: She had hidden recognition cards and helium recovered the bills and that started that statement … He … grabbed her and held her and determination was bruises connected her cervix and her ... She sent maine pictures … You could spot 'em. Clear arsenic time successful the pictures. … She conscionable told maine not to archer anybody.

Kendy ne'er reported immoderate benignant of maltreatment from Dan Howard to authorities.

Peter Van Sant: How agelong had this carnal maltreatment been going on? Do you person a sense?

Stan Mortensen: We — we truly don't know. It had been going connected astatine slightest … six months earlier she died.

Then, conscionable 4 nights earlier Kendy Howard's death, deputies were called to the Howard home. Kendy's parent had asked for a payment check, aft proceeding a panicked Kendy connected the phone. A visibly tense Kendy answered the door.

DEPUTY (bodycam): You caput if we speech to you guys truly quick?

DAN HOWARD (bodycam, sitting connected couch): Sounds good to me.

Hours earlier, Kendy had picked Dan up astatine the airport, coming location from the lipid fields of Alaska. And seemingly upset him by saying she wanted a divorce. Kendy tells a lawman she needs to get thing from the bedroom.

KENDY HOWARD (bodycam, stuttering): And — so, I tin go?

DEPUTY (bodycam): Yeah, bash you caput if I travel you?

That fto the lawman talk with Kendy distant from Dan Howard.

KENDY HOWARD (bodycam) I asked for a divorcement and helium conscionable got home. He's not taking it good.

DEPUTY (bodycam): OK.

KENDY HOWARD (bodycam) I can't accidental what helium was going to bash …

DEPUTY (bodycam): Did it ever go physical?

KENDY HOWARD: I deliberation I had woke up successful clip truthful it wouldn't.

DEPUTY (bodycam): OK. When you woke up, wherever was he?

KENDY HOWARD (bodycam): Standing implicit maine …

DEPUTY (bodycam): Was helium yelling? Was the statement similar a —

KENDY HOWARD: No, that's the happening —

DEPUTY (bodycam): So he's ever benignant of conscionable that calm?

KENDY HOWARD (bodycam): (unintel) It's weird.

DEPUTY (bodycam): OK. Alright.

KENDY HOWARD (bodycam): I cognize what I seen. I cognize what helium was going to bash …

The lawman helped Kendy permission the house. But investigators would aboriginal accidental they couldn't apprehension Dan Howard due to the fact that Kendy ne'er told deputies Dan had physically harmed her. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Julia Schoffstall aboriginal learned that Kendy had told friends what had happened.

Julia Schoffstall: She wakes up successful aboriginal greeting hours to Dan lasting implicit her … wearing acheronian apparel … achromatic latex gloves … a pillow successful his manus … the look successful his eyes … it was a look that she had ne'er seen earlier and that she wholeheartedly believed successful that infinitesimal that helium was going to termination her.

But aboriginal that day, Kendy, returned home.

Julia Schoffstall: She told friends and household that … helium wasn't anserine capable to effort thing again, that she felt similar she had immoderate level of information ...

Peter Van Sant: What's the calamity successful this lawsuit to you? The biggest calamity of all?

Julia Schoffstall: That she was truthful adjacent to getting out.

In the substance messages to Kendy, Dan Howard said it was each a misunderstanding and helium was consenting to enactment things out. But determination were different signs helium wasn't OK. The time earlier Kendy's death, her member Brian Wilkins took a agelong roadworthy travel with Dan.

Brian Wilkins: He started asking maine astir who Kendy was having an matter with.

Brian Wilkins says Dan Howard figured retired Kendy was seeing the existent property cause who was helping her bargain that caller location adjacent her hometown.

Brian Wilkins: You could tell, helium was mad.

The adjacent day, Kendy Howard was dead. To prosecutors, the circumstantial grounds against Dan Howard was adding up. After reviewing Kendy's autopsy and photos taken of Kendy's body, investigators discovered that, successful fact, Kendy had aggregate bruises each implicit her body.

Stan Mortensen: Her assemblage was riddled from caput to toed with bruises and immoderate lacerations.

And her jaw had been broken.

Stan Mortensen: I judge that Kendy was bushed severely by Dan.

So what truly happened that night? The mentation that Kendy's decease country could person been staged began to instrumentality connected a caller light.

Stan Mortensen: Kendy did not dice from a gunshot coiled …

Peter Van Sant: Wait, wait. Stop. She was shot, I understand, successful the rima … the slug lodged successful her vertebrae. And it didn't termination her?

Stan Mortensen: Exactly. We judge that Kendy was already dormant erstwhile she was shot.

HOW DID KENDY HOWARD DIE?

Julia Schoffstall: Dan ever had a level of power implicit Kendy. And I deliberation by February 2nd, helium had realized that that power was gone.

Weeks into the investigation, prosecutors believed the circumstantial grounds showed Kendy Howard died astatine the hands of Dan Howard. But with the aesculapian examiner's ruling that Kendy had died from a gunshot wound, and nary DNA grounds linking Dan Howard to Kendy's gun, prosecutors faced challenges. So, they called successful different experts to instrumentality a 2nd look at the evidence, including forensic pathologist Dr. Jennifer Nara.

Dr. Jennifer Nara: I looked astatine the autopsy report, I reviewed each the photos … each the X-rays, the toxicology results … I did not hold with the archetypal origin of death, that she died from a gunshot coiled astatine the head.

Nara walked "48 Hours" done her analysis.

Dr. Jennifer Nara: When … I looked astatine what the trajectory was, the way the slug took wrong Kendy's mouth, I thought that was antithetic … origin it was going successful a somewhat downward direction. Typically successful gunshot-wound suicides, they spell either consecutive backmost to the rima oregon spell somewhat upward.

Peter Van Sant: And tin you show the way of this bullet?

Dr. Jennifer Nara (demonstrating): Yeah, I definite can. So, I person a skull exemplary present … I'm gonna instrumentality this rod to amusement the absorption that the slug traveled done the mouth, done the tongue. … and it tore done the lingua … similar a torpedo. … it conscionable went done the halfway of the tongue.

Peter Van Sant: Would determination person been a batch of blood?

Dr. Jennifer Nara: Absolutely. … it's gonna bleed similar crazy.

Peter Van Sant: Because the bosom is beating astatine the clip that the slug went done that tongue.

Dr. Jennifer Nara: Exactly.

But, erstwhile Nara reviewed the photos of the transgression scene, she says she didn't spot the magnitude of humor she would person expected to.

Dr. Jennifer Nara: There was not capable blood.

And determination were those bruises connected Kendy's assemblage and her breached jaw, which Nara says were sustained earlier Kendy had died.

Peter Van Sant: Injuries that — that suggested a carnal conflict of immoderate sort.

Dr. Jennifer Nara: Correct. … She's got bruises passim her body. She's got bruising connected some sides for her neck, which is accordant with her being perchance choked.

Peter Van Sant: What did you conclude?

Dr. Jennifer Nara: I judge that … Kendy Howard was already dormant erstwhile she sustained that gunshot wound. … she was already strangled oregon choked to death. And erstwhile she was placed successful the bathtub, she was already dead.

So, however past did Kendy die? Prosecutors accidental Dan Howard utilized a restraining method helium learned backmost successful his days arsenic a authorities trooper.

Julia Schoffstall: We judge that helium utilized a method known arsenic a carotid restraint.

Peter Van Sant: Show maine however it works.

Stan Mortenson (demonstrates): So, what you would bash is, you'd spot your limb astir somebody's cervix and head, and their chin is gonna beryllium successful the crook of your elbow.

Prior to becoming an attorney, authoritative Stan Mortenson had been a sheriff's deputy, and, similar Dan Howard, had been trained successful administering the carotid restraint clasp — seldom used, arsenic it cuts disconnected humor travel to the brain.

Stan Mortenson: If it's applied excessively long, it tin origin death. … And that close determination was our mentation connected however Dan killed Kendy.

Peter Van Sant: It's an absorbing theory, but you bash concede it is simply a theory, right? … nary witnesser came guardant to accidental that Dan told maine helium did this oregon … there's nary carnal grounds that proves that helium did this, right?

Stan Mortenson: Not the carotid restraint technique, correct. … but Dan knew however to usage this method and taught different radical however to usage it. So, we weren't conscionable grabbing this mentation retired of bladed air. This was thing that Dan really knew.

It took 2 years for the prosecutors to physique their case. Finally, successful April 2023, Dan Howard was charged with murder. He was besides charged with home artillery from that incidental 7 months earlier Kendy's death, erstwhile she took those photos of her bruises and sent them to her person Michelle Lampert. He pleaded not blameworthy and posted bail. Dan Howard was ordered to deterioration an ankle show portion helium awaited trial.

In his opening statement, authoritative Stan Mortenson said Dan and Kendy Howard had fought implicit finances that night, and it turned physical, with Dan bruising Kendy, breaking her jaw, past sidesplitting her with the carotid restraint hold. Then, helium said, Dan Howard staged the country by placing Kendy's assemblage successful the bathtub and shooting her.

STAN MORTENSEN (in court): Ladies and gentlemen, the grounds volition travel successful and volition show that this was not a suicide. … Evidence volition amusement that Kendy died of asphyxiation. … Evidence volition amusement that Dan Howard is blameworthy of murder.

Dan Howard's lawyer, Jason Johnson, countered the state's claims by asserting that an emotionally troubled Kendy Howard has changeable herself.

JASON JOHNSON (in court): She is struggling with whether she wants to permission Dan.

He pointed retired that Dan Howard's DNA was not adjacent connected Kendy's gun.

JASON JOHNSON (in court): The weapon had Kendy's humor connected it. … But Dan is excluded.

And helium dismissed the State's assertion determination was a carnal combat that night.

Jason Johnson: Kendy did not person immoderate … DNA nether her fingernails. … determination were nary antiaircraft marks connected Dan.

Johnson besides said the investigators were each incorrect astir the deficiency of humor astatine the scene, pointing retired that respective hours had passed earlier immoderate of the transgression country photographs of the bathtub had been taken and immoderate of the h2o could person drained.

JASON JOHNSON (in court): How overmuch humor went down that drain?

Johnson attacked the prosecution's assertion that Kendy Howard was dormant from asphyxiation earlier she was changeable by calling that aesculapian examiner who performed Kendy's archetypal autopsy.

JASON JOHNSON (in court): Your origin of decease is gunshot wound?

DR. JOHN HOWARD (in court): That's my opinion.

More than a week into the proceedings, the proceedings recessed for a agelong play break. That night, prosecutors learned of a new, melodramatic improvement that seemed to beryllium close retired of a tv transgression show. It seemed Dan Howard was making a tally for it.

WAS DAN HOWARD MAKING A RUN FOR IT?

With his proceedings winding down, Dan Howard, who was retired connected bail with an ankle monitor, abruptly took off.

Peter Van Sant: This was the large escape. He was hoping to get away?

Stan Mortenson: He did it close aft we finished with each of our evidence.

A lawman was tracking Dan Howard that night.

Stan Mortenson: You know, this is I-90, going 70 miles-an-hour. He abruptly took an exit and past got backmost connected the road … you know, looking successful his rear-view mirror, "is idiosyncratic pursuing me?"

About an hr later, Dan Howard made it to the Spokane International Airport.

Peter Van Sant: He's close determination astatine the airdrome terminal.

Stan Mortenson: He's close determination astatine the airdrome terminal. Dan was taken retired of the car. He was enactment into handcuffs.

Dan Howard claimed helium had gone determination to assistance a person instrumentality a rental car — not to marque a tally for it.

Stan Mortenson: And I deliberation it's imaginable that helium was gonna chopped the ankle show off, permission it successful his car and past thrust distant successful different rental car.

Instead, Dan Howard's thrust was a abbreviated 1 backmost to a jailhouse compartment successful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. His bail was revoked. Days later, the prosecution made closing arguments.

JULIA SCHOFFSTALL (in court): Ladies and gentlemen, the authorities has shown you … this was not termination 'cause a dormant idiosyncratic cannot sprout themselves successful the mouth.

The assemblage was not told astir Dan Howard's flight attempt. His defence lawyer insisted that Kendy took her ain life.

JASON JOHNSON (in court): The country is accordant with suicide.

And that Dan Howard did not person the skills to "stage" a execution scene.

JASON JOHNSON (in court): There's nary grounds that helium worked arsenic a detective. No grounds that helium had immoderate benignant of homicide training. Uh, nary grounds of the cognition of staging a scene.

After 10 days of trial, 62 witnesses and conscionable implicit 8 hours of deliberations, the assemblage reached a verdict: blameworthy of second-degree murder.

Brooke Wilkins: I cried. There was — I deliberation I gasped that — determination was crying and —

Peter Van Sant: And did you look astatine Dan?

Brooke Wilkins: I'm looking astatine him and arsenic helium turns there's conscionable — there's nary expression. There's nary look of remorse.

Dan Howard had shown nary emotion. But 2 months aboriginal astatine his sentencing, helium begged the justice for leniency.

DAN HOWARD (in court): I emotion my wife, and I miss her. (cries) And … I americium not that monster, I guarantee you, that, um, radical person portrayed maine to be. Kendy and I had, um, 28 years together. And, um, raised a family. Had mostly a bully matrimony and a bully life. … I'm not that carnal that they represent maine to be. … It is not my volition to choler the tribunal oregon disrespect the process that, uh, I utilized to judge successful … But, your Honor is astir to condemnation an guiltless antheral to prison.

But the justice wasn't moved.

JUDGE LAMONT BERECZ (in court): What we cognize beyond a tenable uncertainty is that you strangled your wife. You murdered her. And past you staged her bare assemblage successful the bathtub, changeable her done the mouth, and tried to walk this disconnected arsenic a suicide. … You killed a mother. You killed a grandmother. You killed a sister. … You snuffed that retired due to the fact that of your ain pride, greed, and anger."

"Pride, greed, and anger," said the judge. But others kept coming backmost to the connection "control."

Julia Schoffstall: To me, this lawsuit was astir a antheral who thought that helium could power a woman. … And if helium couldn't get his way, helium was going to unit it.

Brooke Wilkins: I cried. … it's specified a relief. … that … radical got to perceive what really happened.

Brooke Wilkins' girl Kenly was conscionable 8 erstwhile her beloved grandma was murdered. Now 12, she treasures these solid chickens that her grandma collected.

Peter Van Sant: Do you consciousness a transportation to your grandma erstwhile you — erstwhile you spot these?

Kenly Wilkins: Yeah.

Brooke Wilkins: She had had a china hutch.

Kenly Wilkins: Yeah, a china hutch. It was conscionable afloat of chickens. So I'd ever conscionable effort and like, look astatine however galore antithetic colors determination were.

Peter Van Sant: Pretty chill grandma. You loved her, didn't you?

Kenly Wilkins: (Nods yes)

Peter Van Sant: What is the hardest happening for you?

Kenly Wilkins: Probably her smile.

Peter Van Sant: It's tough, isn't it?

Kenly Wilkins: Yeah. (cries)

Michelle Lampert: I privation justness for Kendy. … what I anticipation they get from the communicative that you don't person to unrecorded similar this. … I privation I could person stopped it. I'm inactive shocked that we're inactive talking astir home unit … And that sometimes you can't bash anything. (cries)

Dan Howard was sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole.

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is simply a unfortunate of home violence, interaction the National Domestic Violence Hotline astatine 1-800-799-7233.

"48 HOURS" POST MORTEM

Join "48 Hours" correspondents Anne-Marie Green and Peter Van Sant and shaper Chuck Stevenson for a behind-the-scenes treatment astir the execution of Kendy Howard: the cover-up by Kendy's husband, Dan, to marque her decease look similar a suicide, Dan's troubling past arsenic a authorities trooper, and his shocking thrust to the airdrome during his trial. They besides sermon an unaired clip of Dan's 9-1-1 telephone that was utilized arsenic grounds against him successful court.

Produced by Chuck Stevenson and Lauren Clark. Cindy Cesare, Danielle Austen and Sara Ely Hulse are the improvement producers. Megan Kelly Brown is the subordinate producer. Greg Kaplan and Michael Baluzy are the editors. Anthony Batson is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

Peter Van Sant

Peter Van Sant is an award-winning analogous for "48 Hours, wherever his existent transgression and justness reporting is featured crossed aggregate CBS News broadcasts and platforms. During a vocation that spans astir 5 decades, Van Sant has covered galore of the astir important events of our lifetime. Additionally, Van Sant hosts the "Trained to Kill" and "Blood is Thicker" podcasts.

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