Robert Edward Howard, a 38-year-old male of unspecified ethnicity, was tragically killed on October 25, 1980, in Houston, Texas. His death was the result of a homicide contracted by his ex-wife. The details surrounding his death reveal a complex and violent plot.
Howard's ex-wife and her current husband conspired to have him killed. They enlisted the help of three men: Stephen McCoy, James Emery Paster, and Gary LeBlanc.
The plan was to lure Howard to the Legal Tender Club, where the conspirators would carry out the murder. On the night of the murder, the conspirators slashed Howard's truck tire and waited for him to leave the club. When Howard discovered the flat tire and opened his hood to get the jack, Paster approached him from behind and shot him in the back of the head.
The investigation into Howard's murder led to the arrest and eventual conviction of the three men involved. Stephen McCoy, James Emery Paster, and Gary LeBlanc were all implicated in the crime. McCoy and Paster were sentenced to death, while LeBlanc received a life sentence. McCoy was executed by lethal injection on May 24, 1989, for his role in the murder.
The case highlighted the lengths to which individuals would go to carry out a contract killing, and the subsequent legal proceedings underscored the severity of the crime. The tragic death of Robert Edward Howard remains a stark reminder of the potential consequences of personal vendettas and the importance of justice in such cases.
