ID v. Daniel Howard: Jealous Ex-Trooper Murder Trial

KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho (Court TV) — A judge sentenced an ex-Idaho trooper convicted of killing his estranged wife to a fixed life sentence in prison, which lasts for the rest of a person’s life and does not allow for release.

After being convicted in March of killing his ex-wife, Kendy Howard, ex-Idaho trooper, Daniel Howard, was sentenced Thursday. (Court TV)

In March, a jury convicted Daniel Howard of second-degree murder and domestic battery in the 2021 death of Kendy Howard.

Howard surrendered to authorities in April 2023, two years after his wife was fatally shot. Investigators said on Feb. 2, 2021, Howard called 911 to report that Kendy, 52, had shot herself. An investigation led authorities to believe the fatal gunshot wound was not self-inflicted.

In 2014, Howard was suspended and resigned from the Idaho State Police (ISP) after he was hit with multiple charges, including grand theft, in Kootenai and Bonner counties, an ISP press release stated.

In 2015, he was given a suspended sentence of three years in prison and put on probation after being ordered to serve 120 days in jail and perform 600 hours of community service, according to The Spokesman-Review. The charges included accusations that he harassed and threatened to kill his wife’s alleged lover and that he stole ammunition from the Idaho State Police.

In Dec., Howard was released from jail while awaiting trial on a property bond, reported KREM.

While standing trial on Mar. 15, Howard was arrested by Spokane International Airport Police in Washington state. As part of his bond conditions, Howard was prohibited from coming within two miles of the airport. According to jail records, he was booked as a fugitive.