Enraged Son Murders Mother, Aunt Over Eviction Notice
Share and Follow

A Kansas man has been arrested and charged with the murders of his mother and aunt at the home the three shared in Lenexa.

Police said Luke Howard, 34, showed up at a Walgreens in Liberty, Missouri, on Wednesday covered in blood and told employees he needed to turn himself in to police, KMBC reported.

Lenexa officers were dispatched to the home at about 5 a.m. and found Joyce Austin, 71, and Valerie Howard, 63, shot to death. Police said the women were former sisters-in-law who lived together at the home with Howard’s son.

Joyce Austin and Valerie Howard/handout

Luke Howard told investigators that he shot the two women when they gave him a 30-day eviction notice. Police said they had been called to the home twice previously this week on domestic disturbance calls.

Detectives said they found 10 to 12 shotgun casings in the living room.

An affidavit for Howard’s arrest says that police were called to the home on February 10 after he complained that his mother had grabbed him around the neck and pushed him. Valerie Howard told police that her son came into her room and broke an ashtray and caused her to fall. She said that he had started being violent toward both women in 2021 and that they had been locking themselves in their rooms “as much as possible.”

The day after that incident, the women served him with an eviction notice. He reacted angrily and called police, telling them that one of the women had pointed a gun at him, a claim he promptly retracted and said he just thought she was going to get a gun, KCTV said.

Austin told police that day that she knew Howard had two guns but did not know where they were kept. Authorities searched his room but found no weapons, and Johnson County Mental Health spoke with him. He told them he didn’t have any firearms.

Howard is behind bars in Clay County, Missouri, on a $5 million bond awaiting extradition to Kansas, KSHB reported.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Individual Detained Downtown Following Alleged Threats of Gun Violence

By Staff Reporter GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Early this morning, police arrested 31-year-old…

Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration’s Attempt to Restrict Transgender Youth Healthcare

Left: New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference…

Urgent Search: Mother Wanted for Allegedly Neglecting Infant Who Tragically Drowned in Bathtub

Inset: Briana Arnold (Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations). Background: The apartment complex…

Ohio Woman Indicted for Allegedly Attempting to Drown Children and Assaulting Them With Belts

An Ohio woman is facing serious charges following allegations of child abuse…

Man Claims Self-Defense in Shocking Case of Over 40 Stab Wounds and Hammer Assault on Wife, Prosecutors Challenge

Inset: Hector Luvianos-Barrera (Kane County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The street where Luvianos-Barrera…

Riviera Beach Resident Apprehended for Alleged Stalking of Shands Healthcare Professional

Dylan Allen Sangricco, a 27-year-old resident of Riviera Beach, found himself in…

Babysitter Arrested After Severe Assault Causes Brain Bleed in 7-Month-Old Infant

Inset: Emily Duran (Allen County Jail). Background: The 100 block of West…

Tragic Incident: Brothers Fire AR-15 and AK-47 at Homes Over Social Media Dispute, Resulting in the Death of Sleeping 12-Year-Old Girl

Insets from left: Antawan Benson and Javen Conner (Montgomery County Prosecutor”s Office)…