Post by Scumhunter on Aug 12, 2023 19:38:53 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: owensborotimes.com)
From 14news.com:
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - It’s been 43 years since police say 24-year-old Terri Howell was murdered.
43 years later there are still no answers, no closure and no leads.
Penny Howell, who would have been Terri’s daughter-in-law, has dedicated years of her life to researching and following leads to find who killed Terri.
Between 1980 newspaper clippings, outlined maps and old photos that she’s hung on to, it shows how much investigating Howell has done since her search began.
“I just feel like it’s the right thing to do. I do love my family. I love Terri’s family. Even though I didn’t get to meet Terri, I know I would’ve loved her too. Family means a lot to me,” Penny said.
On this day, 43 years ago, authorities found Terri’s body in an abandoned farmhouse in rural Daviess County.
Police say that night she and a friend were hanging out at the Hasty Tasty, a local bar and restaurant in Owensboro.
Police say they both got into a light blue 1960′s Ford with an unknown man.
“It was mentioned that he and Terri had some mutual maybe acquaintances from the Ohio County area,” Penny said.
The friend later told police when she realized they were going the wrong way, she jumped out of the moving car.
“They started going east, instead of west where their house is,” Penny said.
Less than 24 hours later, police say Terri’s body, already dead, was found on fire in an abandoned farmhouse somewhere along Lanham road in the rural part of Daviess County
“A volunteer firemen happened to be driving down, seen the fire and smoke coming from this abandoned farmhouse. So, they were able to get there quickly and put out the fire and determine there was a body inside the home that was Terri,” Penny said.
Terri left behind a 4-year-old son and now would’ve had grandchildren.
“There was somebody else supposed to be in this family that is no longer with us, who would’ve been an important part of our family,” Penny said.
Daviess County Sheriff Brad Youngman says although they don’t spend as much time as they’d like to on this case or cold cases in general, they are doing their best to give her family answers.
“We want to be as sympathetic as possible. These are people. Sometimes there is a sense of frustration, ‘why are y’all solving cases every day but this one slipped through?’ And when 43 years goes by, that frustration doesn’t go away,” Youngman said.
It’s been over four decades, but Penny still has hope this cold case will eventually, finally be closed.
“There could be closure to this and definitely justice for her because I think it is still solvable. I want to keep that faith that it is still solvable for our family,” Penny said.
Penny and Youngman say in order for the case to be solved people need to come forward with anything they know or may have seen that night.
If you have any information contact the Daviess County Sheriff’s office at 270-685-8444.
www.14news.com/2023/07/25/43rd-anniversary-unsolved-murder-terri-howell/
Additional article on case: www.owensborotimes.com/news/2023/07/cold-case-howells-murder-still-unsolved-43-years-later-advocate-dcso-asking-for-community-s-help/
Thoughts?
Admin Note: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form