BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Daniel Stearns has been found guilty on all counts in connection to the second-degree murder of Nancy Howery, following a trial that concluded this afternoon.
The jury reached the verdict after about 3 hours of deliberations.
Prosecutors presented a forensic anthropologist as their final witness in the trial, providing key testimony regarding the condition of Howery’s remains.
Nancy Howery’s remains were discovered burned in a remote area of Palm Bay known as the Compound, and investigators determined she had been shot to death.
During the investigation, police say Stearns told them he and Howery had an argument about their relationship while they were out for a gun lesson. Investigators say Stearns told them as he was preparing to shoot – Howery lunged at him and there was a struggle.
Stearns reportedly told them “Howery forced him to kill her.”
Police say that Stearns didn’t trust law enforcement- so he allegedly told them he carried Howery’s body to a wooded area and returned later to dispose of her body. The defense decided to rest today without calling any witnesses including the defendant.
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