COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The former Idaho State Police trooper convicted of killing his wife was sentenced to life behind bars on Thursday.
Daniel Charles Howard’s sentencing is the culmination of years’ worth of investigation into the death of Kendy Howard, which was initially ruled a suicide.
“It’s clear to me you are a remorseless killer,” Judge Lamont Berecz said. “You’re not sorry…I don’t know how to say this without sounding mean, but this is who you are.”
The courtroom was standing room only full of friends, family and the law enforcement officers who worked to get justice for Kendy.
On Thursday, Berecz sentenced Howard to life for murder and 10 years, to be served at the same time, for domestic violence.
Kendy was found dead with a gunshot wound in her bathtub in her Athol home in February of 2021. Howard wasn’t employed with the Idaho State Police at the time of the murder.
After a review of the evidence, Howard was arrested in connection to his wife’s death in 2023.
Howard’s defense spent much of the trial trying to convince the jury that Kendy’s death was in fact a suicide, to no avail.
The prosecution, in turn, argued that Howard killed Kendy and staged her death to appear as a suicide. They further argued it came as Kendy was planning to leave Howard and move to Kamiah.
Expert testimony revealed the scene had been staged, and that Kendy was chocked before Howard tried to make it look like a self-inflicted injury. In March, a jury deliberated for approximately eight hours before convicting him of second-degree murder.
Kendy’s family said the fact she was found nude was just another way Howard could continually ‘embarrass her.’
The case was filled with bizarre twists and turns, including mid-trail when Howard was arrested near the Spokane International Airport. He had been out on bond and violated those terms by being within two miles of the airport. He claimed he was just helping a friend return a rental vehicle. He’s remained in the Kootenai County Jail since.
Jail medical officials voiced concern over his unwillingness to eat and estimated 50-pound weight loss. Kendy’s many loved ones were present for that Zoom hearing which fell on what would have been Kendy’s 52nd birthday. They say it was awful to have him at the center of what should have been a sacred and special day for them.
It’s something Howard had done before. On the first birthday after Kendy had been murdered, Brooke Wilkins says her stepfather held a yard sale to get rid of Kendy’s things.
“Everything my mom loved spread out on their driveway,” Wilkins told the court. “I attempted to buy anything that meant something to my mother … when I arrived, Dan called 911 and had me trespassed from the home I grew up in.”
Dan and Kendy Howard had been married more than 27 years when she was killed. The couple was headed for a divorce. Testimony revealed Kendy was in the process of purchasing a home out of the area and that she had rekindled a relationship with her high school sweetheart. Shortly before Kendy’s murder, she told loved ones she awoke to Dan Howard standing over her with gloves on. Wilkins said she’s haunted by the terror her mother must have endured.
“I often wake up in the middle of the night to (thoughts of my mom) bloody and bruised afraid to leave Dan,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins’ statement also revealed she’d seen how vicious Howard could be to her mother.
“I witnessed physical, emotional and financial abuse,” Wilkins said.
The judge reviewed multiple letters prior to making his ruling including one from Kendy’s granddaughter, mother and father. Prosecutors also outlined the extensive injuries covering her body. In addition to being strangled, Kendy had a broken jaw, a burn mark on her arm and bruising from head to toe.
“She suffered for a while judge,” he said.
Prosecutors also highlighted the extensive efforts made by Howard to cover up his crimes including cleaning and doing laundry. They also say his emotion was disingenuous as they asked the judge to sentence him to life.
Jason Johnson, Howard’s defense attorney, said Howard’s lack of emotion was a ‘trial strategy’ and should not be held against him. He says he has seen emotions from his client.
Johnson told the court it’s still bothersome that Dan Howard’s DNA was not found on the gun, but another unknown man’s DNA was. He urged the judge to give Howard a sentence that would allow him to one day get out.
“Mrs. Howard’s death is tragic no matter how it came about,” Johnson said.
Howard addressed the court himself.
“I’m not that monster, I assure you, the people have portrayed me to be,” Howard said. “Kendy and I had 28 years together. We had mostly a good marriage and a good life…I could not have been the monster for 28 years.”
Howard told the judge he didn’t mean to disrespect the court and the process he “used to believe in.”
He continued to say he still loves Brooke and Kendy’s entire side of the family very much. He said losing Kendy took away his will to live.
“I love my wife and I miss her,” Howard said. “Words cannot describe the pain that I feel. I stand before you a shell of a man I used to be. Hell, I don’t even have a shell left.”
He asked Judge Berecz to consider his service to our country as a Marine and trooper for the Idaho State Police. He said he was honored multiple times for “saving lives.” Howard told the judge for years he coached kids, was involved in 4-H and logged volunteered hours.
“I didn’t ask those people to write in letters to the court because I didn’t want to burden them,” Howard said.
Judge Berecz said it’s been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Dan Howard strangled Kendy and then staged her nude body to look like a suicide. He said it was a ‘heinous, outrageous murder.’
Berecz also said he believes the motive was a combination of jealousy, greed, pride, anger and revenge. He rehashed disturbing comments and behavior by Howard 10 years ago including how Howard could understand “why people kill their old ladies.” Howard looked down, seemingly emotionless as the judge continued.
“There is absolutely no justification for murdering your wife, and I think it’s important the sentence sends that message,” Berecz said. “It’s an outrageously, egregious murder. All murder is, but this is particularly heinous in my view.”
While it is still possible for Howard’s defense to appeal the conviction, Howard is reportedly on hunger strike in jail, and his physical health condition is unclear.
