Man Enters Pharmacy, Covered in Blood, to Admit to Killing Mother and Aunt

A Kansas man, drenched in blood, entered a pharmacy to confess to the fatal shootings of his mother and aunt, which he claimed were triggered by their plans to evict him from the home they all shared.

Luke Howard pleaded guilty on May 13 to two charges of second-degree intentional murder in connection with the deaths of his mother, Valerie Howard, and his aunt, Joyce Austin, according to court documents reviewed by Oxygen.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Howard is anticipated to receive a sentence totaling 65 years and 3 months.

Luke Howard Admitted to Killing His Relatives After Eviction Notice

On February 12, 2025, Luke walked into a Walgreens in Liberty, Missouri, his clothes stained with blood, and informed the store’s pharmacist that he needed to surrender to the authorities. This account is detailed in an affidavit sourced from The Kansas City Star.

Upon the arrival of law enforcement, Luke confessed to shooting his mother and aunt within their Lenexa, Kansas residence, motivated by their intent to evict him, as stated in the court records.

Police were sent to the home and discovered Valerie dead on the living room floor and Joyce lying on the couch, according to the affidavit also obtained by KCTV. Both women had been shot to death. Investigators found 10 to 12 shell casings scattered throughout the living room.

In the days leading up to the deadly shootings, police had been called to the home multiple times. 

On Feb. 10, police responded to a call after Valerie said that her son had broken an ash tray in her bedroom and pushed her, causing her to fall down, per the court records. The 63-year-old said she and Joyce—identified as her former sister-in-law—locked themselves in their rooms because Luke had been violent in the past. 

However, Luke told police that his mother grabbed him around the neck and pushed him, per the court records. 

That same day, Joyce called 911 to report that Luke threatened her, according to the affidavit. She told police that her nephew suffered from bipolar disorder and was behaving erratically. The 71-year-old told authorities that she wanted him to leave her house.

The following day, Luke called police to report that he was being kicked out of the house, per the court records. Although he initially alleged that one of the women pointed a gun at him, he later revised his account saying that he believed the woman was going to get a gun. 

Joyce told authorities that she had given Luke a 30-day eviction notice, per the affidavit. She told police she thought he owned two guns, but was not sure where he kept them. After Luke began to yell at her, Johnson County Mental Health was called to the scene.

Luke told officers that he didn’t have any weapons and a search of his room failed to reveal any firearms.

A spokesperson from the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office told Oxygen that Luke is expected to be formally sentenced for the murders on Aug. 24.