Kendy Howard, 48, was found dead in the bathtub of her home in Athol, Idaho, on February 2, 2021. Her husband, Daniel Howard, called 911 and reported that she had shot herself. Investigators questioned the scene, while the original medical examiner classified the manner of death as undetermined rather than formally ruling it a suicide.
At Daniel Howard's 2024 trial, prosecution experts testified that Kendy had been killed before the gunshot and that the scene had been staged. The defense disputed those conclusions and maintained that her death was a suicide. Prosecutors also presented evidence that Kendy was preparing to leave the marriage and argued that divorce and shared assets supplied a motive; Howard has continued to maintain his innocence.
Daniel Howard was charged with murder and domestic battery in April 2023. After a trial in Kootenai County, a jury convicted him on March 19, 2024, of second-degree murder and domestic battery. On May 23, 2024, the court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder and a concurrent ten-year term for domestic battery.
The Idaho Department of Correction's current record lists Daniel Charles Howard in custody with active Murder II and domestic-battery sentences in case CR28-23-7131. That official custody record supports the standing conviction and solved status as of the July 12, 2026 audit.
Kendy Howard was found dead in the bathtub of her Athol, Idaho home. Daniel Howard reported a self-inflicted gunshot; the original medical examiner classified the manner of death as undetermined.
2023-04
Daniel Howard is charged with murder and domestic battery and surrenders to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, more than two years after Kendy Howard's death.
2024-03
Daniel Howard's murder trial begins in Kootenai County, Idaho.
2024-03-19
A jury convicts Daniel Howard of second-degree murder and domestic battery.
2024-05-23
Daniel Howard is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder, plus a concurrent 10-year term for domestic battery.
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Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
JustThoughtLounge / 41 min
Devastated Husband Believes He’s Fooling Everyone: The Murder of Kendy Howard [Documentary]
People
Kendy Howard
VICTIM
Forty-eight-year-old woman found dead in her Athol, Idaho home; the original medical examiner classified the manner as undetermined, and a jury later convicted Daniel Howard of her murder.
Daniel Howard
CONVICTED
Kendy Howard's husband and a former Idaho State Police trooper; convicted on March 19, 2024 of second-degree murder and domestic battery, and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Kendy Howard, 48, died at her Athol, Idaho home in 2021; her husband Daniel Howard was convicted of second-degree murder and domestic battery in 2024 and is serving active sentences in Idaho custody.
Where did the murder happen?
Athol, Idaho.
Who was convicted?
Daniel Howard (Kendy Howard's husband and a former Idaho State Police trooper; convicted on March 19, 2024 of second-degree murder and domestic battery, and sentenced to life in prison without parole.).
