Neil Howard, a 46-year-old Illinois man, has been convicted of first-degree murder for the 2023 killing of his mother, 60-year-old Norma J. Caraker. The Madison County jury reached their verdict after approximately three hours of deliberation. Howard was accused of strangling his mother with a bungee cord in her bed after she returned from a date, reportedly frustrated with her lifestyle and refusal to provide him with money.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office reported that Troy Police Department officers responded to a call from Howard at Caraker’s residence in the early hours of September 13, 2023. Howard had expressed concern about his mother’s unresponsiveness. Upon arrival, officers discovered Caraker in her bed, a bungee cord wrapped around her neck. Despite attempts to revive her, Caraker was pronounced dead at the scene.
Howard, who was noticeably intoxicated at the time, initially told investigators that he had seen an unidentified man fleeing the scene. However, police later established that the sliding-glass door of the home had been locked from the inside, leading to Howard’s arrest.
During the trial, Assistant State’s Attorney Luke Yager argued that Howard had grown increasingly resentful of his mother’s dating habits. Yager suggested that Howard’s anger, fueled by alcohol, led him to strangle his mother.
Howard’s sentencing hearing will be held at a later date before Circuit Judge Amy Maher, who presided over the trial. He faces a potential maximum sentence of 60 years in a state correctional facility and will remain in custody at the Madison County Jail until his sentencing.
State’s Attorney Tom Haine praised the diligent work of the officers and investigators, stating that their efforts allowed the prosecution to present a clear timeline of events leading to Caraker’s death. He acknowledged the case’s complexity, which relied heavily on scientific and technological evidence.
Despite the guilty verdict, Howard received support from his two sisters and his fiancee, who served as defense witnesses. His defense attorneys, Jeremy Sackett and David Fahrenkamp, who took the case pro bono, expressed their belief in Howard’s innocence and suggested that the police were too quick to consider him a suspect. They plan to appeal the verdict.