In the early morning hours of February 16, 2015, the life of Tara Leanne Burnett, a 33-year-old woman, was tragically cut short in her Crossville, Tennessee, home. A 911 call made by her boyfriend, Matthew Howard, set in motion a chain of events that would uncover a fatal act of violence. When law enforcement arrived at the residence the couple shared on Kings Down Drive in Fairfield Glade, they discovered Tara Burnett deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
Howard, who was 39 years old
at the time, was taken into custody at the scene. The investigation into Burnett's death, conducted by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, quickly identified Howard as the sole person responsible. He was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
The legal proceedings that followed painted a grim picture of domestic violence. Held on a $1 million bond, Matthew Howard eventually entered into a plea bargain. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. This plea resulted in a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. The court case brought a legal conclusion to the tragic death of Tara Burnett, a retail store manager originally from Houston, Texas.
