Adam Howe: Junkie son murders 70-year-old mother and sets body on fire in front of Cape Cod home
CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS: The local prosecutor's office reported that a 34-year-old heroin addict killed his mother, 70, and burned her remains outside the $900,000 home they shared in affluent Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Adam Howe was taken into custody after the Cape Cod SWAT team raided the home on Friday night. Family friends who wanted to check on Susan Howe's welfare called the police to the house in Truro. The local fire department was called to the scene at the same time the welfare check was requested due to a report of a fire.
According to Tara Miltimore, an assistant district attorney, "A family member had called and asked to check on the residence," as per Cape Cod Times. According to a source close to the family, Adam and his wife both had heroin addictions. The accused was living with his mother who was about to expel him because of his drug use.
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When police arrived on the scene, they quickly realized that the fire was caused by a dead body burning, according to a joint press release from the police department and the prosecutor's office. Adam had been standing close to the fire but fled when the police arrived. He was taken into custody shortly after. Responding officers identified the burning person as Adam's mother.
Susan Howe served as both the president of the Truro Historical Society and the chair of the Truro Commission on Disabilities. Susan also had a job at a clothing store in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, according to her Facebook page. She resided in the Houser Way district in Truro. According to Zillow, her house is worth over $900,000. She died a few weeks before turning 71.
Adam claims to have previously worked as a chef in numerous establishments in Vermont and Massachusetts on his LinkedIn page. He made an appearance with Anne Burrell in an episode of 'Chef Wanted' on the Food Network in 2012 and also wrote about food for the publication Southern Vermont Landscapes. He is pursuing a degree in English at Castleton University, according to the most recent update on that profile, and had previously attended Boston's Emmanuel College to study English literature.
Truro government released a statement following Howe's death. It read, "Our hearts are heavy with the news that we have lost a beloved member of our community, Susan Howe." It added, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends at this time of tragic loss. We are following the lead of law enforcement as they investigate this tragedy and have no further comment at this time."
DA Michael O'Keefe told the Boston Globe that his office is requesting that Howe be taken out of police custody and placed in a mental health facility. "We have to prove, affirmatively, at any subsequent legal proceedings that this guy was sane at the time of the crime. We want the evaluation done closest in time to the actions that resulted in someone’s death."
State Police Detectives tasked with the investigation are working with the Truro Police, the State Fire Marshalls Office, and the District Attorney's Office.