Houston lawyer allegedly mistook special needs son for intruder, shot him, and burned his body

SABINE COUNTY, Texas (TCN) -- A Houston attorney faces charges after allegedly killing his 20-year-old special needs son on his property and burning his body.

Sabine County Sheriff’s Office Deputy J.P. MacDonough said at a news conference that on Dec. 2, Michael Howard called authorities and claimed he "accidentally" shot his adult son, Mark Howard, because he mistook him for an intruder. Michael Howard said he then used a tractor backhoe to transport his son's body to a remote area on the property, where he placed him on a wood pile and "cremated" him.

Howard allegedly told deputies the shooting was a "horrible accident," and he burned the victim's body because it was "what he would have wanted."

According to the sheriff's office, deputies located human remains, including a portion of a jaw. All bones appeared to have been burned based on charring and heavy soot and ash. Investigators are waiting for official autopsy results. MacDonough said the scene also seemed to have been cleaned with a water hose.

Howard was booked into the Sabine County Jail for charges of murder and tampering with physical evidence.

According to the sheriff's office, the victim was diagnosed with Down syndrome, but he had a job and was "high functioning."

MacDonough called the incident a "bizarre crime."

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