In the summer of 2022, the life of 40-year-old Akeda Howton, a Black woman from the Buffalo area, was tragically cut short in what authorities have described as an isolated incident of violence. The unfortunate series of events began to unfold on Saturday, July 16, 2022, when Howton was reported missing. A day later, on July 17, 2022, her body was discovered inside her parked vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot in Tonawanda, New York.
An initial investigation by the Town of Tonawanda Police revealed that she had sustained what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds.
As the investigation progressed, details emerged suggesting a history of domestic turmoil. Friends and family indicated that Howton was last seen with Kenneth Worthy, the father of her newborn child. Concerns of domestic violence were raised by those close to her, who stated that Howton had been trying to end her relationship with Worthy. Family members reported that he had been making threats towards her after she decided to leave him. Surveillance footage from the morning she went missing reportedly captured a struggle between Howton and Worthy as he was forcing her into a car.
The search for answers in Howton's death took a turn when law enforcement informed her family that Kenneth Worthy had been found deceased in Pennsylvania. It is believed that he took his own life. Reports from family members indicated that Worthy had left a note in his apartment apologizing for his actions. With the primary suspect in her murder also being deceased, the case concluded without an arrest or trial, leaving a family to mourn the loss of a mother, sister, and daughter.
