A Texas man claims he mistakenly shot his son, later burns body

HEMPHILL (AP) — A father has been charged with fatally shooting his son at a home in East Texas after claiming he had mistaken him for an intruder and then later burning his body, authorities said.

Michael C. Howard, 68, who is an attorney in Houston, told investigators he was at a home he owns in Sabine County on Sunday when he accidentally killed his 20-year-old son, Mark Randall Howard, with a shotgun after believing he was an intruder, according to a news release from the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office.

Howard did not call the sheriff’s office until Monday, after he had taken his son’s body to a remote area on his property and placed the body on a wood trash pile and then “cremated” his son, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies found body parts and bones in the trash pile and sent them to a medical examiner’s office.

Howard told investigators that the whole thing was a “horrible accident.” The news release did not say if Howard indicated why he allegedly burned his son’s body after the shooting.

An investigator with the sheriff’s office did not immediately return a call seeking comment. The sheriff’s office was set to have a news conference later Thursday afternoon with more details about its investigation.

Howard remained jailed in Sabine County after being charged with murder and tampering with evidence. It was not immediately known if Howard had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.