Daniel Charles "Dan" Howard, a former Idaho State Police trooper, murdered his wife Kendy Howard at their home in Athol, Idaho, on February 2, 2021, before staging the scene to make her death appear to be a suicide. Howard initially told police that Kendy had shot herself in the bathtub, but investigators found inconsistencies at the scene and later concluded that he had strangled her before placing her body in the bathtub and firing a gunshot into her mouth. After a two-year investigation, Howard was charged with murder and convicted of second-degree murder and domestic battery in March 2024. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in May 2024.
Early Life
Daniel Charles Howard was born in approximately 1965 and lived in northern Idaho. He served as a member of the United States Marine Corps before joining the Idaho State Police in 1994. During his law-enforcement career, Howard worked as a state trooper, firearms instructor and member of the agency's SWAT team.
Howard married Kendy Howard in 1994, and the couple remained together for approximately 26 years. They raised a family in Idaho, with Howard becoming a stepfather to Kendy's daughter and having a son with her. By the early 2020s, however, their marriage had deteriorated amid financial and relationship problems. Kendy told a friend shortly before her death that she wanted a divorce after picking Howard up from the airport on January 28, 2021.
Killing Spree
On February 2, 2021, Kendy Howard was killed inside the couple's home in Athol, Idaho. Prosecutors later established that Daniel Howard used a carotid restraint hold to strangle her before placing her body in the bathtub.
Howard then fired a gunshot through Kendy's mouth and positioned her body in the bathtub with her own firearm submerged in the water. He called 911 at approximately 10:43 p.m. and claimed that Kendy had shot herself, causing the death to initially be treated as a suicide.
Modus Operandi
Howard used his law-enforcement knowledge to attempt to create a false suicide scene. Prosecutors argued that he killed Kendy through asphyxiation and then deliberately placed her body in the bathtub and fired the weapon to create evidence supporting his account that she had taken her own life.
Investigators immediately noticed irregularities. Kendy was naked in the bathtub, the firearm was submerged in the water and there was considerably less blood than investigators expected from a fatal gunshot wound. Other details at the home, including a packed duffle bag and an almost-completed dryer cycle, also raised questions about Howard's account of events.
Capture
Howard initially remained at the scene and told responding officers that he had discovered Kendy in the bathtub after hearing a noise upstairs. Investigators nevertheless became suspicious almost immediately because of inconsistencies surrounding the alleged suicide and Howard's knowledge of police investigative procedures.
The investigation continued for more than two years. Detectives examined the physical evidence, Kendy's injuries, Howard's statements and the circumstances of the couple's deteriorating marriage. Prosecutors ultimately obtained an arrest warrant in April 2023, charging Howard with first-degree murder and felony domestic battery. He surrendered to authorities on April 21, 2023.
Trial & Sentence
Howard's trial began in Kootenai County in March 2024. Prosecutors argued that he killed Kendy using a carotid restraint technique and then staged the bathtub scene to make the death appear to be suicide. Medical experts testified about the injuries and the circumstances surrounding the gunshot, while investigators described the inconsistencies they had found at the scene.
The prosecution also presented evidence concerning the breakdown of Howard's marriage and Kendy's plans to divorce him. The defence maintained that Kendy had taken her own life and challenged the prosecution's reconstruction of the death. After hearing testimony from 62 witnesses over approximately ten days, the jury deliberated for just over eight hours.
On March 19, 2024, the jury found Howard not guilty of first-degree murder but guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder, as well as felony domestic battery. On May 23, 2024, Judge Lamont Berecz sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for murder, with a concurrent 10-year sentence for domestic battery.
Notes
Howard's history as a law-enforcement officer became a significant element of the case because prosecutors argued that his familiarity with crime scenes and investigative procedures helped him attempt to disguise the homicide. Investigators specifically considered whether his professional knowledge had allowed him to construct a scene that initially appeared consistent with suicide.
The prosecution also presented evidence concerning Howard's previous conduct. In 2014, he resigned from the Idaho State Police after facing criminal charges including theft-related offences, and he later received a suspended prison sentence, probation and jail time. Earlier allegations also involved threats and harassment directed toward a man Howard believed was involved with Kendy.
At sentencing, Howard continued to maintain his innocence and told the court that he loved and missed Kendy. Judge Berecz rejected his account, describing the killing as a "heinous, outrageous murder" and stating that Howard's actions were driven by pride, greed, anger and revenge.
- Kootenai County Sheriff's Office
- Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
- Idaho State Police
- Kootenai County District Court
- CBS News
- The Spokesman-Review
- Coeur d'Alene Press
- Court TV
Quotes
"I'm not that monster people have portrayed me to be."— Daniel Howard
Media
📺 Documentaries / TV Series
48 Hours - The Bathtub Murder of Kendy Howard
Examines Kendy Howard's death, the suspicious bathtub scene, the investigation into her husband and the trial that resulted in Daniel Howard's conviction.
🎥 Major Video Interviews
CBS News / 48 Hours
Features interviews with investigators, prosecutors and witnesses, together with body-camera footage and courtroom evidence from the Howard case.
Court TV
Provided courtroom coverage of Howard's murder trial, including testimony concerning the alleged staging of Kendy's death and the eventual verdict and sentencing.
🎙️ Podcasts
48 Hours
The CBS true-crime program has also covered the case through its podcast and accompanying reporting.
📰 Written Media Coverage
The Daniel Howard case received extensive media coverage from:
CBS News, The Spokesman-Review, Coeur d'Alene Press, Court TV, East Idaho News
Major themes included:
Daniel Charles Howard, Dan Howard, Kendy Howard, Athol Idaho, Idaho State Police, bathtub murder, staged suicide, carotid restraint, former state trooper, domestic violence, divorce, second-degree murder, life imprisonment without parole, and crime-scene staging.
