Attorney ‘cremated’ son he mistook for intruder and killed with shotgun, Texas cops say

A father is accused of killing his adult son with a shotgun blast, then burning the remains, Texas authorities say.

Michael Howard called authorities Dec. 2 and said he “accidentally” shot his son the previous day, according to a Sabine County Sheriff’s Office news release obtained by the Sabine County Reporter.

Howard, according to KRIV and KHOU, is a Houston-based attorney. Sabine County is about a 170-mile drive northeast from Houston.

When deputies responded to Howard’s property, he again said there was a “horrible accident,” the sheriff’s office said.

He said he mistook his son for an intruder, then he shot and killed him with a shotgun, according to the investigators.

Howard took the deputies to the area where he said he “cremated” his son, the sheriff’s office said. He said he put his son’s body into a backhoe tractor, then brought it to the remote area on his property.

In the pile of wood, authorities said they found body parts and bones.

“All bones appeared to have been burned based on charring and the area they were found in was heavy with soot and ash,” investigators said. “The recovered body parts have been sent to the medical examiner’s office.”

Howard was charged with murder and tampering with evidence, according to the sheriff. He was jailed on a $10 million bond for each charge, according to KTRK.

His 20-year-old son was identified by KYTX and KHOU as Mark Howard, who the outlets reported had Down syndrome.

McClatchy News tried to reach the sheriff’s office for more information but did not immediately receive a response.