Daniel Howard: Former Idaho trooper accused of murdering wife after daughter says she didn't kill herself

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

KOOTENAI COUNTY, IDAHO: A former state trooper from Kootenai County, Idaho is facing trial for the alleged murder of his wife, whose naked body was found in a bathtub and initially suspected to be suicide, as per Law&Crime.

Daniel Charles Howard is accused of killing Kendy Howard on February 2, 2021. Seven months after the incident, the couple's daughter provided details regarding her mother's death on October 1, 2021, which took the case from suicide to a murder.

According to Dayynewsbizz, Daniel faces charges of first-degree murder and domestic battery. This follows a two-year investigation into the circumstances surrounding Kennedy's death, which was initially reported as a suicide.

Howard's career as an Idaho state trooper ended in disgrace, with his resignation in 2014 amid criminal charges for harassment and theft marked the beginning of a downward spiral. 

Daniel Howard’s trial began on March 4

During the initial trial on March 4, the prosecution wanted to show that Candy Howard didn't die by suicide. They presented evidence that showed Howard controlled and abused her.

Candy tried to leave the marriage by talking to lawyers and planning a move. Her strange death, being shot and found naked in a bathtub, made the defense's argument harder.

What did Brooke Wilkins say?

The case took a significant turn when their daughter, Brooke Wilkins, refuted the suicide narrative publicly, citing Candy's aversion to firearms and a history of abuse within the marriage. Investigators, piecing together the victim's attempts to escape a tumultuous relationship, are now presenting a case that challenges Howard's initial 911 call.

In a Facebook post in October, Wilkins talked about her father amid her mother's death. She said he reported her mother's death as a suicide, but she didn't agree with that. She explained that her mother never used guns.

Wilkins said her father often hurt her mother, both physically and emotionally and her mother wanted to leave the marriage. Wilkins mentioned that the police were called a week before her mother died to help her leave the house.

The daughter described how bad the marriage was, saying her mother would go to work with bruises. She also mentioned that her mother had been planning to divorce her father.

One day, her mother woke up to find her father standing over her in black clothes and gloves, the daughter claimed, adding that she was scared but managed to call someone for help. She didn't want to talk to the police; she just wanted to leave, Wilkins said.

The daughter said that the both went away for the weekend, and when they came back, her mother thought everything was okay. But her father came back home on February 2, and her mother didn't survive until February 3.