A tragic incident unfolded last weekend at a lake house near the Toledo Bend Reservoir in Texas, where a father allegedly mistook his adult son for an intruder and fatally shot him. The father, 68-year-old Houston lawyer Michael C. Howard, then reportedly cremated his son’s body on a pile of wood and trash, describing the incident as a “horrible accident,” according to local law enforcement.
The Sabine County Sheriff’s Office reported that Howard was spending the weekend with his son, Mark Howard, who had Down syndrome, at a lake house several hours away from Houston. The fatal shooting reportedly took place on Sunday night when Howard allegedly mistook his son for an intruder on the property.
Howard contacted the Sheriff’s Office on December 2, 2024, who informed them that he had “accidentally” shot his own son. The details of the incident were shared in a press release by the Sheriff’s Office, which was later posted on Facebook by the local Sabine County Reporter newspaper.
Following the shooting, Howard confessed to police that he had taken his son’s body and transported it to a remote area on his property using a backhoe tractor. It was in this location that he reportedly cremated his son’s body on a pile of wood and trash that had been previously set up.
Upon executing a search warrant, law enforcement discovered Mark Howard’s remains. The Sheriff’s Office noted that all the bones appeared to have been burned, as indicated by charring, and the area was heavily covered in soot and ash.
Howard was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and tampering with evidence. He is currently being held in custody on a $20 million bond.
According to the State Bar of Texas website, Howard runs a private law practice in Houston’s Heights neighborhood, specializing in ethics-legal malpractice, family law, personal injury litigation, oil, gas and energy resources, and real estate.
Records indicate that Howard has had previous run-ins with the law. In 1995, the Board of Disciplinary Appeals suspended him after he pleaded no contest to third-degree felony theft in Harris County. He was given deferred adjudication and placed on one year of probation, with his suspension lasting the length of his probation.