Father placed his disabled son’s body on a pile of wood and trash over a mile from their home, where he shot him to death, and burned it before claiming it was an accident; charged

Texas – In a tragic incident that shocked a Texas community, a 68-year-old man, identified as Michael H. is facing severe legal repercussions after fatally shooting his adult son, whom he mistook for an intruder at their lake house, and then cremating his body. The case has drawn attention due to its disturbing details and the subsequent actions taken by Howard.

According to the sheriff’s office, the incident occurred on Sunday, December 2, 2024, at a remote lake house property owned by Michael. The sheriff’s office reported that Michael, who was spending the weekend at the lake house with his son Mark, shot Mark, who had Down syndrome, thinking he was an intruder. Following the shooting, Michael’s actions took an even darker turn.

In a confession to the police, Michael admitted that after the shooting, he transported his son’s body to a secluded area of the property using a backhoe tractor. There, he placed the body on a pile of wood and trash he had previously set up and burned it. Police detailed that Michael described the death of his son as a “horrible accident,” a claim that has done little to mitigate the severity of his subsequent actions.

Upon executing a search warrant, deputies found the remains of Mark. They reported, “All bones appeared to have been burned based on charring, and the area they were found in was heavy with soot and ash.”

Michael was arrested and charged with murder and tampering with evidence, shocking those who knew him as a practicing lawyer specializing in various legal fields including ethics-legal malpractice and family litigation. He is currently held on a staggering $20 million bond.

Details emerged that Michael has a troubled past with the law, having been suspended in 1995 after pleading no contest to third-degree felony theft, which resulted in a year of probation and professional suspension for the same duration.

The District Attorney, P. Robbins, announced that Michael would face charges not only for murder but also for desecration of a corpse and tampering with a crime scene. The shocking nature of the crime has drawn considerable attention, given Howard’s status as an attorney and the brutal manner in which he handled the aftermath of his son’s death.

The community and authorities have been left to piece together the events that led to such a tragic outcome. The property, described as a weekend getaway for the Howard family, is now a primary focus of the investigation. The scene was approximately a mile-and-a-half from the main area of the property, highlighting the premeditation involved in transporting and cremating the body.

Investigators also noted that Michael claimed to have burned his son’s body in accordance with what he believed were his son’s wishes, a statement that has yet to be corroborated. Deputies recovered burned fragments of a lower jaw with some teeth still intact at the burn site, which were sent to the medical examiner’s office for further analysis.

This case has deeply affected the local community and raises serious questions about mental health, gun safety, and the responsibilities of individuals to manage personal conflicts without resorting to violence. As the legal proceedings continue, many are calling for justice for Mark, whose life was cut tragically short under horrific circumstances.