Howard Monteville Neal

Serial Killer

Howard Monteville Neal: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Background

Howard Monteville Neal, born on September 14, 1953, in Ellisville, Mississippi, is an American convicted murderer and self-confessed serial killer. His criminal activities spanned from 1980 to 1981, primarily in Mississippi and California. Neal's life has been marked by a series of violent crimes, leading to multiple convictions and life sentences.

Confirmed Crimes

Triple Homicide in Mississippi (1981)

On January 24, 1981, Neal committed a series of brutal murders involving his half-brother and two nieces in Arm, Mississippi. The sequence of events is as follows:

• Bobby Clifford Neal (41 years old): On January 24, 1981, Howard Neal visited his half-brother Bobby's residence. During a car ride with Bobby and the two girls, an altercation ensued after Bobby objected to Howard's inappropriate behavior towards one of the girls. Howard led Bobby into a wooded area under the pretense of a walk, where he shot him once in the chest, resulting in Bobby's death.
• Amanda Joy Neal (13 years old): Following Bobby's murder, Howard returned to the car and coerced Amanda and her cousin into another secluded area. There, he raped Amanda before fatally shooting her. Her body was discovered on February 6, 1981.
• Melanie Sue Polk (12 years old): Alongside Amanda, Melanie was also sexually assaulted by Howard. After the assault, Howard shot Melanie, leading to her death. Her body was found on February 6, 1981, in close proximity to Amanda's.

Double Homicide in California (1980)

In November 1980, the bodies of a young man and woman were discovered in a shallow grave near Ludlow, California. Both victims had been shot and beaten. Neal, who was residing in Ludlow at the time, later confessed in 2017 to picking up the hitchhiking pair, attempting to sexually assault the woman, and subsequently killing both individuals. The victims were identified decades later through DNA analysis as:

• Pamela Duffy (20 years old): Identified in December 2020 via DNA samples provided by her biological daughter.
• William "Digger" Lane (19 years old): Identified through DNA from his mother, who was residing in Florida.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Neal was apprehended on March 6, 1981, in Stockton, California, on unrelated charges. Upon discovery of his connection to the Mississippi murders, he was extradited and charged. In February 1982, Neal was convicted of the capital murder of Amanda Joy Neal and sentenced to death. However, subsequent evaluations revealed that Neal was intellectually disabled, leading to the commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment without parole. In August 2023, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that Neal should be resentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole due to his intellectual disability and deteriorating health. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Bobby Clifford Neal Age: (41), Date of Death: 1981-01-24

    ...View 2 additional victims
Suspected Victims:

William Everette Digger Lane Age: (20), Date of Death: 1980-11-17

Pamela Dianne Duffey Age: (21), Date of Death: 1980-11-17

Howard Neal - Wikipedia

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