On a summer day in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, the life of 27-year-old Shella 'Shay' Thomas Howard was tragically cut short. On July 21, 2014, she was found in her home, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The initial call to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office was simply reported as a shooting, but upon their arrival, deputies discovered Shella deceased at the scene.
The investigation quickly turned towards her husband, Jaris Howard. Detectives learned that in the moments leading up to her death, Shella was in the bathroom area of their residence getting dressed when her husband shot her multiple times. In the immediate aftermath, Jaris Howard took their minor child and went to a relative's home. It was there that he confessed to his family members that he had shot and killed his wife. His admission did not end there; while being transported to the Ascension Parish Detention Center after being located at his mother's residence, he confessed to the deputies as well.
Initially booked on a charge of second-degree murder, the legal proceedings against Jaris Howard would unfold over several years. In April 2019, an Ascension Parish Jury found the then 36-year-old guilty of manslaughter. Subsequently, in August of that same year, he was sentenced to 40 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections. However, this was not the final chapter in the case. The conviction was later overturned due to a non-unanimous jury verdict. In a retrial, Jaris Howard ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. This guilty plea, part of an agreement with prosecutors, resulted in a new sentence of 25 years in prison with credit for time served, to be served without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
