
Background: News footage of the location wherever Joyce Austin and Valerie Howard were recovered dormant (KCTV). Inset (left): Luke Howard (Johnson County Sheriff's Office). Inset (right): Valerie Howard and Joyce Austin (Everloved.com).
A Kansas antheral who fled to different authorities aft fatally shooting his parent and aunt has pleaded blameworthy to the treble murder.
Luke Howard, 35, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of second-degree execution successful transportation with the deaths of his mother, 63-year-old Valerie Howard, and aunt, 71-year-old Joyce Austin. As Law&Crime antecedently reported, Luke Howard was arrested astatine a Walgreens successful Missouri connected Feb. 12, 2025, aft helium told an worker that helium wanted to crook himself successful to police.
According to tribunal documents, Luke Howard's apparel were covered successful blood, and helium confessed to constabulary erstwhile they arrived.
The Lenexa Police Department wrote astatine the clip that connected the greeting of Feb. 12, 2025, officers responded to calls for a payment check astatine the location wherever Valerie Howard and Austin, former sisters-in-law, lived. Both women were recovered changeable to decease inside.
Austin's lad besides called constabulary asking astir his mother, telling constabulary that Luke Howard was successful possession of firearms.
As the probe into the treble execution progressed, constabulary said they had been called to the location 2 days earlier successful effect to a carnal altercation betwixt Luke Howard and his mother. Valerie Howard told constabulary that she and Austin locked themselves successful their rooms to support themselves from Luke Howard, who had a past of convulsive behaviour and bipolar disorder. Austin besides called constabulary connected her nephew that day, saying that helium threatened her due to the fact that she wanted him retired of the house.
Police said Austin issued Luke Howard a 30-day eviction notice, which appeared to beryllium his motive for sidesplitting some women. Luke Howard cited the eviction announcement erstwhile helium called constabulary himself the time earlier the murders, claiming that Austin threatened him with a gun, a connection helium rapidly recanted.
After the shooting, Luke Howard showed up astatine a Walgreens pharmacy successful Liberty, Missouri, astir 30 miles distant from his mother's location successful Lenexa, Kansas. Pharmacy unit saw humor connected his clothes, and helium told them helium wanted to crook himself successful to police.
Luke Howard was taken into custody by Liberty constabulary and extradited to Johnson County successful Kansas. He was initially charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder.
On Wednesday, Luke Howard pleaded blameworthy to 2 counts of second-degree murder. His sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 24.

3 days ago
13





English (US) ·