Updated information: Accused murderer bonded out on a reduced bond of $1,000,000
68-year-old Michael Howard Houston Attorney accused of murdering Down Syndrome son
Updated information:
68-year-old Michael Howard bonded out of Sabine County Jail yesterday, on charges of murdering and then cremating his 20-year-old son with Down Syndrome.
Howard was arrested and charged with murder and tampering with evidence last week and was being held at the Sabine County Jail on a $20,000,000 bond.
Howard went before District Judge Craig Mixon and was able to have his bond reduced to $1,000,000 which he soon posted without going through a bond company according to the Sabine County Sheriff Office investigator J.P. MacDonough.
Howard does however have several restrictions on him such as an ankle monitor and he also had to surrender his passport with his release among other conditions according to a news release from the Sabine County Sheriff's Office.
The following bond conditions will be imposed:
1. Remain within Sabine & Harris Counties, and within Jasper, San Augustine,
Angelina, Nacogdoches, Montgomery, and Polk Counties (within 5 miles of State
Highway 103 & Interstate 69).
2 . Provide all addresses & remain at those addresses and notify the Court and
Prosecutor in writing of any planned move. All moves must be approved in writing
prior to any move.
3. Remain at current employment and notify the Court and Prosecutor upon any
separation from employment. Address, phone number, supervisor's name(s) must
be provided to the Prosecutor's Office.
4. A curfew will be in effect. Defendant will be at his residence by 9:00 p.m. each
evening and remain there until 6:00 a.m. except when pre approved in writing for
work or medical care, and then only on direct route going to and from said locations,
5. Provide an accurate and complete description of any and all vehicles that the
Defendant will drive during the time he is out on bond, including but not limited to
make, model, color, owners), locations regularly parked, VIN, license plate number
and distinctive identifying accessories and/or modifications. Defendant will not
drive any vehicle that he has not provided information for in this manner.
6. Do not go within 1000' of any school, daycare, park, or other area where children
are known to congregate.
7. Support all dependents.
8. Commit no offense against the laws of this County, State, or the United States.
9. Avoid injurious or vicious habits, including but not limited to no use of alcohol,
illegal drugs or use any medication or drug in a manner for which it has not been
prescribed for use by the Defendant:
10. Avold person and places of disreputable or harmful character, including but not
limited to clubs, bars, or other establishments whose primary income is derived
from the sale of alcohol, and/or persons who are co-defendants of this Defendant,
have previously been convicted of any felony, who are currently on probation for
any crime, and or who currently have charges filed and are pending against them.
11. Submit drug testing urine and hair follicles, upon request by any probation officer,
law enforcement officer, court, prosecutor or any staff member of the same, within
24 hours of any request for the same, and pay any fees associated with the same.
12. Pay for and continuously wear, without any modification or tampering with any GPS
ankle monitor, at the request and specification of the Prosecutor's Office during the
duration of bond.
13. Remain within an electronic monitoring area for the ankle monitor, at all times.
14. Defendant will submit a DNA sample to the Sabine County Sheriff's Office.
PAUL A. ROBBINS
SABINE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY for the State
Attorney Michael Lamson for Defendant.
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