Howard admits killing local man

The man denied killing his son and three other people in Columbus.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- During a courtroom outburst, a man questioned in the slayings of a Columbus family admitted a three-day crime spree here, including a murder and attempted murder.
"I'm guilty of all this," Jason Howard told Judge John M. Stuard during his arraignment Friday afternoon on six felony charges.
"I've got nothing to lose. You find out who killed my kids," the 24-year-old Liberty man told Judge Stuard as he threw a copy of his indictment onto the courtroom floor.
Despite advice from Judge Stuard not to talk in order not to incriminate himself, Howard continued to admit his guilt in the local cases.
Howard's admissions came after the judge asked Howard to cooperate with his attorney, Anthony Consoldane of the Ohio Public Defender's Office.
Judge Stuard ordered Howard back to the county jail and held in lieu of a $2 million bond. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Chris Becker, an assistant county prosecutor, immediately requested a transcript of Howard's admissions from the court reporter.
After being led out of the courtroom in shackles and under heavy guard, Howard again said that he wanted the murderer of the Columbus family brought to justice.
Local crimes
Howard was arrested Wednesday at a Kenilworth Street house on warrants charging him with two counts of felonious assault. He was also the suspect in a murder here.
He held police at bay for about 80 minutes as he threatened to kill himself. He finally surrendered.
The cases were taken directly to the Trumbull County grand jury that indicted him Friday on one count each of aggravated murder with a firearms specification, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, kidnapping with a firearms specification, attempted murder with a gun specification and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Becker said Howard faces life in prison without parole.
Howard is accused of the shooting death of Phillip Dally, whose body was found Monday in a vacant lot on Front Street.
There had been reports that Dally was killed because he owed Howard $130 for a bicycle, but Becker said he hadn't heard anything about a bike.
"The fortunate thing is, we don't need a motive," the prosecutor added.
The attempted murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping charges arise out of the Sunday shooting of Mario Sowell, 30, of First Street.
According to the police report, Sowell had given Howard a ride in his mother's car. He told police Howard pulled a handgun on him and demanded money. Sowell responded that he didn't have any money.
Once on West Park Avenue, the report said, Howard ordered Sowell out of the car and onto the ground and shot him in the stomach.
Howard is also accused of the Wednesday wounding of Dontai Young, 26, of Lane Drive, who told police he was shot in the arm by a man he knew.
The charge of possession of a gun by a felon is the result of Howard's being convicted of domestic violence in 2004.
Detective Sgt. Jeff Cole said he doesn't know "what set him off."
Becker credited the Warren police, especially Cole, for acting swiftly in getting Howard arrested and charged.
Columbus killings
Howard is a "person of interest" in the slayings of his former girlfriend and her three children, one of whom Howard fathered.
The bodies of Jameila West, 28, formerly of Warren; her daughter, Jamiere Erwin, 10; and sons, Trever Williams, 6, and Jakia Howard, 3, were found in their Columbus home Wednesday afternoon.
Jakia was Howard's son. The family had been dead for several days, Columbus police had said.
yovich@vindy.com